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| June Newsletter |
| Learn Something New |
The Birch Bark Canoe Project kicked off this week with the first public building session this past Sunday. If you would like to participate, you can come to the Ely Folk School pocket park at 1pm on Sundays throughout the summer, registration found here. More information on the spruce roots harvest on Saturday, June 25th can be found below, BYOBD (Bring Your Own Bug Dope).
Last Friday was the first Kids Makers Morning of the summer. Kids learned how to make fish origami, colorful yarn wrapped fish, and homemade popcorn among other things. Friday mornings throughout the summer, young makers will be inside and outside EFS making different crafts and snacks each week.
I encourage you to browse the class list closely, scrolling all the way to the bottom to view June, July, and August. Many new classes are offered including Creating a Dialogue with Nature, Anishinaabemowin Basics, Carving Green Wood for Beginners, Rattle Making, and Making Musical Clay.
Happy viewing!
Alexia Springer
View full list of classes online.
| Kids Makers Morning Fridays, June 3 through August 26, 2022 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Free! Kids Makers Morning started last week and kids had the opportunity to write something on the board the want to learn this summer. They have come to the perfect place. We hope to make these goals happen for them this summer and could use your help sourcing supplies. Helpful Items for Donation Clay Large knitting needles Chunky yarn Paint Water colors Hot glue gun sticks White beach towels Zup’s gift cards for snack supplies Kids dishes Paper towels Spill/cleaning rags $$ for basket weaving kits |
| “This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.” |
| Thursday Makers Mornings 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM  Join other makers and crafters weekly at the Ely Folk School for a relaxed morning of creativity and sharing. Whether you crochet, quilt, solder, write, or weave, any project is welcome. This space is also excellent for students who did not finish a project during their class. Drop in whenever as you like, for as long as you like. |
| Game Night Monday, June 6 Monday, July 11th Monday, August 1 Monday, September 5 6:00 PM – FREE Join the Ely Folk school for an evening of games and community. An assortment of board games, cards, and refreshments will be provided. |
| Chipping Away: Carving Club First and Third Wednesdays, June through September 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Free – Register **Pre-registration helps us plan ahead** Open to all wood carvers, whittlers, wood workers, and other artists! All levels of skill and experience are welcome. Everyone from a first time carver to a professional carver can join us, socialize, learn something, and get a little carving in!We’ll meet every other Wednesday throughout the summer in the Ely Folk School’s Pocket Park on Sheridan Street and should we desire, we can carve around the campfire. |
| Birch Bark Canoe Project Weekly starting Sunday, June 5, 2022 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM $15 or $50 for the summer Join the Ely Folk School for our birch bark canoe project this summer! The BBCP is a community build and this summer we are completing work on our 20 foot canoe. We welcome you to join us as you’re available on Sundays, from 1 pm – 5 pm to respect, learn about, and craft an Anishinaabe birchbark canoe. *This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.  |
The EFS Mercantile is Open
Written by Alexia Springer
Some of you may remember a few years back when the Ely Folk School had a mercantile. Unfortunately, I do not but I am pleased to announce that the mercantile is being revived and items are starting to become available for purchase. Slow and steady wins the race due to limited staffing capacity. Instructor items currently for sale include beautiful hand embroidered bags by Candace Bishop, needle felting kits and felted items by Laura Berlage, and poetry books by DyAnne Korda. More items will be available soon.
A conversation overheard during Kids Makers Morning when the felted dragon journal was spotted.
“Wow, cool! How much is that? I want to buy it.”
“Wow, that is really cool.”
“Hey, please don’t save up the money to buy this before me, I really want it!”
“We’ll see!”
Harvesting Spruce Roots
Saturday, June 25 at 9:00 am
Deep in the bog lies a precious resource for those who craft with natural materials. Spruce root is critical for birchbark canoe building and basketry. The beautiful white root can be used for lashing, sewing, and weaving. Because of their strength and flexibility, spruce root is ideal for the task.
Come learn how to respectfully and safely harvest spruce roots and enjoy a hike while you’re at it! Root gathered will be used in the construction of the birch bark canoe currently being built at the Ely Folk School on Sunday afternoons! You will be able to contribute to this community building project and learn the techniques for harvesting your own roots for your own basketry projects. Join the Birch Bark Canoe Project on Sunday afternoon (June 26) to learn about processing the roots and how it is used in our canoe.
| June Class List |
| Tempera Painting with Flowers with Cecilia Rolando June 9 at 1:00 pm –$42 Bent Willow Chair with John Bajda June 10 at 9:00 am – $109 Painting Barn Quilts with Mary Jo Schmid June 11 at 9:00 am – $105 Rediscover Weaving on a Potholder Loom with Diane Thompson June 11 at 9:00 am – $104 Summer Haiku Cards with Cecilia Rolando June 16 at 2:00 pm -$20 *Child/Parent Class Knife Sharpening 101 with Paige May June 16 at 6:00 pm – $20 All Things Chaga with Allie Austin June 21 at 1:00 pm – $60 Summer Solstice Celebration: Poetry Reading & Open Mic with DyAnne Korda June 21 at 7:00 pm – FREE Creating a Dialogue with Nature with Rachelle Elizabeth June 23 at 5:30 pm (6 classes total) – $135 Creating a Dialogue with Nature: Part One with Rachelle Elizabeth June 23 at 5:30 pm & June 23 at 11:00 am – $35 Natural Stone and Leather Bracelet with Kay Vandervort June 24 at 12:00 pm – $55 Invasive Color Dying: Using Invasive Species as Natural Dyes with Theresa Hornstein June 25 at 9:00 am – $72 Harvesting Spruce Roots with Charlies Cecil June 25 at 9:00 am – $20 Photographing Orchids: Tools of the Trade with Ken Hupila June 25 at 1:00 pm – $41 Photographing Orchids: Field Trip with Ken Hupila June 26 at 8:00 am – $65 Songwriting Circle with Joey Kenig June 28, July 26 & August 30 at 1:00 pm – $10 cash/person |
| July Class List |
| Anishinaabe Style Shoulder Bags for Kids with Jessica Anderson July 2 at 10:00 am – $25 Bead Embroidered Necklace with Kay Vandervort May 2 at 12:00 pm – $55 Embroidery on Denim with Candace Bischoff July 7 at 2:00 pm – $46 Backcountry Baking with Alexia Springer July 9 at 10:00 am – $34 Linoleum Printing on Fabric with Nora Rickey July 14 at 5:00 pm – $61 Beyond the Hammer: Tools for Your Garden with the forging community July 15 at 5:00 pm & July 16 at 9:00 am – $145 Stenciled Wildflower with Kristen Aune July 17 at 2:00 pm – $66 Anishinaabemowin Basics with Jessica Anderson July 20 at 6:00 pm – $20 Creating a Dialogue with Nature: Part Two with Rachelle Elizabeth July 21 at 5:30 pm & July 23 at 11:00 am – $35 Introduction to Weaving on an Inkle Loom with Diane Thomson July 22 at 9:00 am – $109 Inkle Loom Beyond Stripes: Weaving Pick Up with Daine Thomson July 23 at 9:00 am – $109 Songwriting Circle with Joey Kenig June 28, July 26 & August 30 at 1:00 pm – $10 cash/person Manoomin: The Food that Grows on Water & Carving Wild Rice Knockers with Rick Anderson July 27 at 5:30 pm – $25 مسمن Moroccan Flatbread with Lucy Soderstrom July 28 at 6:00 pm – $40 Memory Wire Bracelet with Kay Vandervort July 28 at 12:00 pm – $40 Blueberry Hand Pies with Lacey Squier July 30 at 9:00 am -$51 Blueberry Hand Pies: Live Online with Lacey Squier July 30 at 9:00 am -$36 |
| August Class List |
| Stories of Ely with Jäc Miller August 1 & August 2 at 2:00 pm – $40 Bead Embroidered Bracelet with Kay Vandervort August 4 at 1:00 pm – $40 Mixed Perception Presents the Magic Flute August 6 at 4:00 pm – FREE Plein Air Sketching in the Park with Phoebe Mol August 7 at 9:00 am – $73 Carving Green Wood for Beginners with Daniel Westhoven and Ben Rolland August 7 at 1:00 pm – $122 Gyotaku: Fish Painting with Lyn Reed August 12 at 12:00 pm – $42 Maiolica Glazing Workshop with Karin Kraemer August 13 at 10:00 am – $95 Songwriting Workshop with J. Jeffrey Messerole August 13 at 3:00 pm – $25 J. Jeffrey Messerole Live in Concert August 13 at 7:00 pm – $20 Rattle Making with Allison Bell August 17 & 24 at 1:00 pm – $55 Prehistoric Native American Effigy Pots with Lyn Reed August 18 and 25 at 10:00 am – $35 *Youth Class Needle Felt a Loon: Live Online with Laura Berlage August 19 at 2:00 pm – $72 Learn to Weave – Rigid Heddle with Diane Thomson August 20 at 9:00 am – $99 Making Musical Clay with Lyn Reed August 20 & 27 at 10:00 am – $55 Introduction to Tapestry Weaving: Live Online with Laura Berlage August 20 at 2:00 pm – $264 Minnesota Medicinal Foraging with Allie Austin August 23 at 1:00 pm – $50 Creating a Dialogue with Nature: Part Three with Rachelle Elizabeth August 25 & August 27 – *Sliding Scale Payment Songwriting Circle with Joey Kenig August 30 at 1:00 pm – $10 cash |
| We invite you to become a Friend of Ely Folk School through your donation. Thank you so much for helping us accomplish our mission of building community by providing learning experiences that celebrate the wilderness heritage, art, history, culture, and craft of the people of northern Minnesota. |
| The Ely Folk School is made possible by: Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, Donald G. Gardner Humanities Trust, Lake Country Power, Minnesota State Arts Board, Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment, and Rotary International. |