*This is not a complete list of current instructors.
Alexia Springer, Outdoor Educator
In addition to teaching outdoor education classes in canoeing and bicycling, Alexia enjoys a number of crafting hobbies including basketry, porcupine quill jewelry making, mending, and rock painting. Alexia has worked for various college outdoor programs including serving as Program Coordinator of Outdoor Education at Earlham College.
Classes: Backcountry Baking, Origami Ornaments
Barton Dunning, Chip Carving Instructor
Bart is a physiologist who taught and worked in Artificial Intelligence for 30 years. Bart has done various woodworking projects over his lifetime. He started chip carving 20 years ago and now teaches at the Marine Mills folk school as well as at EFS in addition to demonstrating carving and hand tool woodworking at Dakota Village in Farmington MN.
Past Classes: Chip Carving
DyAnne Korda, Poetry & Writing Instructor
DyAnne Korda is a poet and experienced writing instructor. Her work has been published in many journals including The Wisconsin Academy Review. She is author of several poetry and story collections including This Earth Woman and Finding the Lost Woman. Korda was awarded her second Individual Artist Grant through the Donald G. Gardener Humanities Trust and an Artist Access Grant through the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council to complete her most recent book, The Shore’s Absolute Edge.
Classes: Fall Nature Writing, Spring Nature Writing
Erik Simula, Birch Bark Canoe Builder
Erik is a Finnish American artisan, educator, and writer from Duluth, Minnesota, who specializes in crafting birch bark canoes of the Ojibwe-Anishinaabe ancient tribal form. Erik is a former Alaskan wilderness mushing guide and has worked for the National Park Service, National Geographic, Vermillion Community College, Voyageur Outward Bound School, and the 1854 Treaty Authority. He lives in the boreal forest near Finland, Minnesota, in a small cabin overlooking Lake Superior.
Classes: Birch Bark Canoe Project
Laura Berlage, Interdisciplinary Fiber Artist
Laura is a contemporary Renaissance woman living and working on her family’s century-old homestead farm outside Hayward, WI. From fiber arts to creative writing, music to storytelling, she never tires of the magic of transforming idea into form and overlapping narrative and visual. Laura also loves working with the many and beautiful natural materials from her farm—especially the wool from her sheep. Completing her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College in 2011, Laura continues her lifelong passion for learning with mentorships and intensives that offer engaged, hands-on teaching with small groups to encourage creativity, imagination, and expression.
Classes: Needle Felting, Tapestry Weaving, Felted Crochet
Les Conrad, Professional Photographer
Les is a local artist/photographer who focuses (pun intended) on the beauty of the natural world around us. He spent his working life photographing portraits of people. Once retired, he turned his lenses and attention toward nature, wildlife, landscapes, flora and fauna with particular attention to the aurora and the night sky. Les spent much of his working career teaching photography to non-photographers. He knows how to simplify explanations and use real life examples so that all learners understand the content.
Classes: Night Sky Photography, Aurora and Star Trails, Introduction to Adobe Lightroom Classic, Advance Adobe Lightroom Classic, Improving your Photography in the Snow
Nora Rickey, Fiber Artist & Educator, She/They
Nora is a self taught visual artist and educator living in Minnesota. Raised in an artistic household and trained in NYC, they came into my visual arts practice when they moved back to the sweet Midwest. Here, Nora began exploring and teaching themself different fiber arts skills and incorporating them into their work. Whether a hidden secret or on full display, Nora loves to create pieces that transform the wearer into art.
Classes: Embroidery, Linoleum Block Printing, Tatted Lace
Paige Richard May, Outdoor Craftsman
Paige is a long time dogsled/sea kayak guide, sea kayak instructor, and puukkontekijät (Scandinavian style knife maker). He spends most of his time in the western Lake Superior region, mainly NE Minnesota.
Classes: The Maasepän Puukko Class, Knife Sharpening 101
Sarah Elkins, Crafter
Sarah has been crafting for as long as she can remember. She has always had a fascination in handmade goods and enjoy learning and experimenting with different techniques and media. Sarah is primarily self taught and through her creative journey has learned that the aspect of crafting and creating she loves the most is seeing the unique individuality different people bring to a project. Because of this she emphasizes individuality and creativity in her classes. Although Sarah dabbles in many areas, she focuses on crochet, embroidery, and papermaking.
Classes: Papermaking, Beeswax Wraps