Aspire Artisan Studios & Folk School

06/17/2026

🪡 Slow Stitching
🗓️ Saturday, July 11th, 2026
⏰ 9am - 12pm

Only a few spots left!

In this class, students will create a peaceful fabric landscape using a combination of cloth, lace, and simple appliqué techniques. Participants will learn foundational hand stitches used in slow stitching, as well as decorative embroidery stitches for embellishment and texture. We will explore how to layer fabrics, add collage-like elements, and build a composition that feels personal and expressive. Students will also learn how to incorporate recycled textiles or eco-printed fabrics to bring meaning and sustainability into their work. Throughout the process, the focus will be on mindful making, creativity, and enjoying the calming rhythm of stitching. By the end of the class, each student will leave with a finished textile artwork and the skills to continue slow stitching on future projects. Instructed by Shuang Caudill.

Register at www.AspireArtisanStudios.org

05/12/2026

Visit Aspire at Art-A-Whirl this weekend and make your own leather key fob! 🔨 We’ll be alongside 25+ other amazing artists at in partnership with
☀️ Fri 5-10pm
☀️ Sat 12-8pm
☀️ Sun 12-5pm

05/01/2026

🖌️ Beginner Oil Landscape Painting
🗓️ Saturday, May 30th, 2026
⏰ 1pm - 4pm

Curious about oil painting but not sure where to start? This relaxed, hands-on workshop is designed especially for beginners. You’ll learn the fundamentals of oil painting while creating a finished landscape painting you can take home the same day. We’ll cover essential materials, simple color mixing, and basic brush techniques, then move step-by-step through the oil painting process. No prior painting experience is required. All instruction is guided and supportive, with demonstrations and individual help throughout the class. By the end, you’ll have a solid foundation in oil painting, greater confidence with the medium, and a clear sense of how to continue practicing on your own. Instructed by Leigh Larson of

Register at www.AspireArtisanStudios.org

04/20/2026

🥄 Intro to Spoon Carving
🗓️ Saturday, May 30th, 2026
⏰ 9am - 12pm

Learn to carve a spoon using a straight blade knife and a hook knife to carve out the bowl of the birch cooking spoon. The class will cover learning some basic carving techniques using a straight blade helping understand the grain of the wood. Then, starting with a roughed out spoon blank, you will work on crafting your spoon. The shaping is done with the straight blade, and then the bowl is carved out using a hook knife. The goal is to spend a couple hours carving, and leave with a finished cooking spoon! No previous experience required, all tools and materials will be provided. Instructed by Peter Ellison.

Register at www.AspireArtisanStudios.org

04/14/2026

🖌️ Watercolor Batik on Rice Paper
🗓️ Saturday, May 9th, 2026
⏰ 10am - 4pm

Watercolor batik is painting several alternating layers of watercolor and melted wax on rice paper. Using the wax as a resist first to create white, then over watercolor to save that color for future layers. We work from light to dark until the whole surface is covered watercolor and wax. Then the batik process is to crinkle the whole painting into a ball to crack the wax, and straighten it all out to add a final layer of watercolor to soak through the cracks. Then we iron it out in newsprint to see what we’ve created! The first painting is a step-by-step to learn the process. During drying time, there will be time to work on 1-2 more paintings of your choice. Instructed by

Register at www.AspireArtisanStudios.org

04/09/2026

🪵 Intro to Woodturning on the Lathe
📅 Saturday, May 9th, 2026
⏰ 9am - 12pm

In this class, we will discuss and demonstrate woodturning on the lathe. Students will learn all the lathe parts and features, safe operations on the lathe, many options for all the various tools and accessories available, and the pros and cons of each option. We will cover types of wood to use and how to harvest and process the wood for the best results for your project. A wide variety of lathe projects will be discussed, from beginning projects to advanced projects and all the possibilities that the can be accomplished on a wood lathe. Instructed by

Register at www.AspireArtisanStudios.org

04/02/2026

🪡 Taste of Needle Lace
📅 Saturday, May 2nd, 2026
⏰ 9am - 12pm

This class will introduce students to the origin, history, and basic technique of needle lace. We’ll use the Punto in Aria technique. Punto in Aria literally means “stitching in the air.” We’ll use a card printed with a small scalloped edge pattern from a 16th-century design book to support our work.

Register at www.AspireArtisanStudios.org

02/24/2026

Rooted in traditional and historic craft, we’re so excited to share what’s in store for 2026. We look forward to seeing you this summer at Aspire!

Classes now available at www.AspireArtisanStudios.org

10/03/2025

Join us at the first and third Saturday of October to celebrate the changing of the seasons with cyanotype printing! Free and open to all ages and abilities.

🍁 Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2400 Third Ave S, Minneapolis MN 55404
🍁 October 4th + 18th, 2025
🍁 10:00am - 2:00pm

09/10/2025

Tomorrow, join Aspire at Minneapolis Institute of Art for a hands-on woodcraft project! 🪵 Free and open to the public, all ages welcome!

Roll into the courtyard for Bike Night on Thursday evening! Connect with the Twin Cities cycling community through bike rides, bike safety checks, and bike bingo. Take a photo with your fixie in Mia’s photo booth. Enjoy giveaways from partner Perennial Cycle. Aspire Artisan Folk School highlights a new exhibition with wooden wall art. All free, no tickets required.

📆 Thursday, September 11, 5–9 pm.
🪵 Create with Aspire Artisan Folk School
🍕 Snacks from the Pizza Karma food truck
🖼️ Check out “Timber! Art and Woodwork at the Fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire”

In the event of inclement weather, we’ll move the party indoors. Learn more: https://bit.ly/457b2vF