COVID-19 Protocols as of October 15, 2021
The Milan Village Arts school resumed in-person classes on May 1, 2021. To ensure the safest class environment for everyone involved, the school implemented a COVID policy that required all students, instructors and MVAS staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of class. This policy has been highly effective and the school was able to successfully run a number of classes during the spring, summer and fall of 2021. By October, the school had hoped this policy could be relaxed, but the spread of the Delta variant required changes to be postponed. Until further notice, the following protocols will remain in place.
• All instructors, students and MVAS staff are required to be fully vaccinated at the time of class. Please bring your proof of vaccination when attending class.
- Only instructors, students and staff will have access to the school during class.
- All CDC guidelines current at the time of class will be implemented, including social distancing and hand washing. As all participants are vaccinated, the wearing of masks will be at the discretion of the instructor.
- If students feel unwell prior to the class, they should not attend class. Students will receive a full refund if they are unable to attend class due to illness.
- If a student or instructor tests positive for COVID-19 in the week following the class, they should contact the school.
Wood Spoon Carving with Fred Livesay
Age/Level: Beginner and above Minimum age 15
Date: Saturday and Sunday, February 19 & 20, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: February 5, 2022
Location: Milan Village Arts School
Scandinavia and many other countries have folk traditions of carving spoons for personal and home use and as gifts. This two day class aims to continues this craft. Come and discover why the satisfaction of spoon carving has taken Europe and the U.S. by storm. Spoon carving opens the door to a host of other woodcraft skills using axes and knives.
The focus of the class is to develop the student’s confidence in the use of an axe and knife for roughing and finishing of a beautiful, durable, and usable wooden spoon. During the first morning session, students will learn carving strokes using “try” sticks, then move to making a set of chopsticks to improve their skills. The afternoon session and following day are devoted to carving the spoon.
Other aspects of the class will cover sharpening, design, decorating, and finishing of your spoon. In addition, stretching and exercises, as well as posturing for fatigue-free carving will be covered to make your carving experience more enjoyable.
Please bring your own old and new spoons to share with the class. Fred will assist returning students with additional techniques to improve their skills.
Tuition: member $150 non-member $165
Supplies/materials: $30.00 payable to the instructor. Fred will have some tools for student use and additional spoon blanks for sale.
Click here to register.
Read Fred Livesay’s bio.
Scandinavian Flat Plane Carving with Bill Jaeger
Age/Level: Beginner and above. Minimum age 16
Date: Saturday & Sunday, March 19 & 20, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: February 19, 2022
Location: Milan Village Arts School
Bill provides carving students with carving designs for this class that highlight the historical and unique aspects of traditional Scandinavian style figure carving. Students will practice the particular knife strokes and techniques to achieve the look of the old carvers. A good carving knife is the only tool needed, but students should bring their palm gouges. Carvers with some experience should be able to carve and paint a figure in this weekend class.
Tuition: member $135 non-member $150
Supplies: Students should bring their carving tools. Bill will provide band sawn blanks out of basswood and Pinewood Forge Knives for purchase. Finishing materials such as paint and Danish oil will be supplied by instructor.
Click here to register.
Read Bill Jaeger’s bio.
Design Your Own Dala Horse with Charles Banks
Age/Level: Beginner and above. Minimum age 15
Date: Saturday & Sunday, February 26 & 27, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: February 12, 2022
Location: Milan Village Arts School
This class is open to beginning through advanced carvers who will experience an introduction to design and embellishment of your very own Dala horse. The national symbol of Sweden, once used as a form of currency, will be our subject. Under the guidance of Charles Banks, students will learn the basic cuts, painting styles and will have the flexibility to add their own artistic creativity to their own Dala horse, making their horse truly one of a kind. Students may even have a chance to create multiples of this Scandinavian classic in this 2 day experience.
Tuition: member $130 non-member $145
Supplies: Blanks cost $5 to $15 depending on the size. Knives and gloves will be available for sale. Carvers should bring any and all tools they own. The instructor supplies paints and brushes.
Click here to register.
Read Charles Banks’s bio.
Tool Sharpening Demystified with Paul Linden
Age/Level: Beginner and above. Minimum age 16
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022. Day one of the 2022 Spoon Gathering
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: May 21, 2022
Location: Milan
In this class, we will focus on what can be an illusive process of sharpening and maintaining various edge tools for woodworking. Making tools sharp is essentially a very straightforward process in theory, but the proliferation of advice and equipment can be very confusing.
We will practice sharpening several different tools, using both simple and sophisticated methods. We will discuss and analyze various types of steel, as well as several different variations of sharpening equipment and technique. Students will get a hands-on opportunity to take a tool to perfect sharpness, learn how to assess when the tool needs more attention, and try some quick and convenient methods for maintenance.
Tuition: member $75
Supplies: A Supply Fee of $25 is payable to the instructor at the conclusion of the class. Supply List: nothing required; but students should feel free to bring a small hand tool for practice – carving knife, chisel, plane blade, cabinet scraper, pair of scissors.
Click here to register.
Read Paul Linden’s bio.
Feeling Dull? Learn to Keep Your Edge with Fred Livesay
Age/Level: Beginner and above. Minimum age 15
Date: Saturday, August 20, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: August 6, 2022
Location: Milan Village Arts School
Are you tired of dull inefficient tools? Sharpening is not magic and you can learn to create, keep and hold an edge. Bring your kitchen knives, pruners, plane and even mower blades and and make them bright again. During this one day class, we will discuss edge geometry, sharpening stone types, technique and edge triage and how to deal with it. Lots of hands on experience and demonstrations will provide clear direction towards keen edges. Open to sharp-minded of all skill levels.
Tuition: member $75 non-member $90
Supplies: All tools and supplies will be provided.
Click here to register.
Read Fred Livesay’s bio.
Introduction to Ale Bowl Carving with Jim Paulson
Age/Level: Beginner and above. Minimum age 16
Date: Friday, Saturday & Sunday, July 8, 9 & 10, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: June 25, 2022
Location: Milan Village Arts School
If you have admired wooden ale bowls as wonderful examples of Scandinavian folk art, here is your chance to craft one yourself. Ale bowls have a long history going back to the Vikings, of holding and sharing homemade beer for special occasions like baptisms, weddings, and funerals. They were often elaborately carved and painted. Our goal is to create a personalized ale bowl that celebrates this rich cultural tradition.
Since chickens and other birds were commonly depicted in the design of ale bowls, we’ll begin there in teaching the art. You’ll learn how to shape the outside and inside of a small rooster ale bowl using hand tools like spokeshaves, a sloyd knife and hook knife, and carving chisels. Once the bowl shape is established, we’ll pick a design and add the carving. Finally, there will be the opportunity to finish the ale bowl using acrylic paints or stain.
Tuition: member $180 non-member $195
Supplies: A Supply Fee of $20 is paid to the instructor at the conclusion of class. A Supply List will be sent on registration.
Click here to register.
Read Jim Paulson’s bio.
Wood Bowl Turning on a Lathe with Steve Mullins
Age/Level: Beginner and above. Minimum age 16. Younger students welcome if accompanied by an adult.
Class 1: Saturday & Sunday
Date: October 23 & 24, 2021
Registration Deadline: October 9, 2021
Class 2: Saturday and Sunday
Date: March 5 & 6, 2022
Registration Deadline: February 19, 2022
Class 3: Saturday & Sunday
Date: October 22 & 23, 2022
Registration Deadline: October 8, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Milan Village Arts School
In this class, we will focus on developing the basic skills needed to turn a wooden bowl from “green” unseasoned wood.
Working at the power lathes, students will learn how to properly execute bevel rubbing cuts and scraping techniques using bowl gouges. We will also cover wood selection, bowl blank preparation, bowl mounting methods and lathe safety. Each student will turn bowls they can take home.
The instructor will provide all necessary tools and equipment, but students may bring their own tools if they wish. Please note that tools with carbide cutters will not be used. Students will need to provide their own face shield.
For questions, please contact Steve at samco@runestone.net.
To view examples of Steve’s bowls, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MullinsWoodworks – click on Etsy Store
Tuition: member $215 non-member $230
Supplies: A supply fee of $45 is payable to the instructor at the conclusion of the class. All supplies and materials will be provided.
Click here to register.
Read Steve Mullins’s bio.
MVAS has a fully operational lathe equipped with tools and sharpener available for member use. Access is by appointment. Students either need to have taken Steve’s class or have similar experience.
Acanthus Carving with Jock Holmen
Age/Level: Beginner and above. Minimum age 15.
Class 1: Monday through Friday
Date: March 21, 22, 23, 24 & 25, 2022
Registration Deadline: March 5, 2022
Class 2: Monday through Friday
Date: August 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12, 2022
Registration Deadline: July 23, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Milan Village Arts School
Learn to carve elegant, ornate leaf designs in wood. Acanthus carving dates back many centuries and is used to add beauty to both structural and decorative woodwork. In this class, we will learn the basic techniques of working with wood grain, the elements of design, and the use and care of woodcarving tools. You will learn to carve all the way around the piece, including the back side. It will be possible to carve a panel or a clock in this style.
If you have never carved this style before, you will start with a simple scroll and there will be numerous projects to choose from. You may bring your own projects, or the instructor will provide patterns and blanks.
Tuition: member $310 non-member $325
Supplies: Materials: $25-$75, payable to the instructor. Bring your Acanthus carving tools. Jock has sets of tools for rent for beginning students.
Click here to register.
Read Jock Holmen’s bio.
Shrink Box Magic with Bill Rickard & Scott Johnson
Age/Level: Beginner and above. Minimum age 18
Date: Tuesday through Thursday, May 31 and June 1 & 2, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Registration Deadline: May 17, 2022
Location: Milan Village Arts School
Taking advantage of the characteristics of greenwood to shrink as it dries, the shrink box is a fun and magical way to craft a container. Shrink boxes are made from a hollowed out green tree branch, which is grooved on the inside at one end.
A section of tree or branch is hollowed out and a groove is cut towards the bottom. Then a dry piece of wood is cut to loosely fit in the groove. The green wood dries and shrinks around the dry bottom, hence the term shrink box. You will start with a piece of greenwood, bark on. You will remove the bark, hollow it out, fit the bottom in and carve and fit the lid. Then you may add different types of lids and knobs, and decoration, such as carving, kolrosing, acrylic or milk paint, and other types of finishes.
Tuition: $200
Supplies: A supply fee of $30 is payable to the instructor at the conclusion of the class. A Supply List will be sent out at the time of registration.
Click here to register.
Read Bill Rickard & Scott Johnson’s bio.
Open Carving Night
Wood carving can be a solitary pursuit or it can be an activity enjoyed with a group of people. On a cold winter’s evening in Scandinavian countries it is not uncommon for friends and family to sit around the warmth of a fire and carve spoons or figurines. In Minnesota, wood carving is becoming increasingly popular as more and more people discover the creativity and relaxation carving brings to their lives. This growth in popularity has led to carving groups springing up across the Midwest. Open Carving Night was created to provide a wood-carving friendly environment where carvers would have the opportunity to meet, carve, socialize, and share their knowledge of carving with fellow artists.
All carvers, no matter their choice of carving style, are invited to attend Open Carving Night and enjoy an evening of carving and friendship. On any given evening, a visitor to the school may observe acanthus, flat plane, figure, spoon, bowl or chip carving artists at work.
Carvers of all persuasions are invited to meet at the school on the first Tuesday of each month to carve and network.
Requirements: Some experience in wood carving. Students must supply their own carving tools and wood. It is not necessary to be a member of MVAS to attend.
Fee: There is no fee for Open Carving Night.
Time: First Tuesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Please contact the school for more information or to be included on the Open Carving Night email list.