2023 Fall Seminar
November 3 – 5, 2023
St. Paul Technical College, 235 Marshall Ave., St. Paul, MN.
Welcome to the Fall Seminar
Here are some photos from our 2023 Seminar with Gary Rogowski.
The Minnesota Woodworkers Guild Fall Seminar is an
annual long weekend of learning from a nationally recognized master in our field.
We are not sure when the first Seminar occurred. We are pretty sure that the first presenter was Sam Maloof, and others have included Robert Van Norman of the Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking, as well as artist/craftsmen such as sculptor David Orth and designer Scott Grove. The three day seminar begins with an slide lecture by the artist and feedback on pieces submitted by Guild members; followed by two full days of lecture and demonstration.
The Fall Seminar is one of the premier educational events offered annually by the Guild. Join us. And learn. A lot!
Our 2023 Speaker: Gary Rogowski
This year’s seminar featured Gary Rogowski, the founder and director of the Northwest Woodworking Studio.
Gary is a furniture maker and designer, author, and teacher. He gained a degree in literature from Reed College and then took this training straight to the quiet of a craftsman’s bench. For 25 years, he designed and built furniture in Portland, Oregon for private clients and galleries. In 1991, he won the Oregon Arts Fellowship in Crafts. He built public commissions including the library furniture for the Oregon State Archives as well as work for Delta Airlines, Temple Beth Israel, and San Juan Diego Church.
Gary was a Contributing Editor for Fine Woodworking Magazine for fourteen years with numerous articles, videos, and two books on woodworking including The Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery, (Taunton Press, 2002) He is also the author of Handmade: Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction (Linden Press, 2017). His essays and short stories have been published in Craftsmanship.net, Coldnoon Journal, and Praxis Magazine. His podcast Splinters can be found on all the major podcast providers.
The seminar focused on the design and construction of a craftsman style “Siska” bookcase. The project featured a series of inlays, a sliding dovetail, and through tenons. Key elements that Gary covered in the seminar included:
- Design considerations: proportions, color, function, joinery, intention, plate rail and back.
- Millwork: quarter sawn vs. flat sawn; Color choices for case and inlay.
- Joinery choices: through tenons, through wedged tenons, housed tenons, wedged though mortises.
- Inlay work: template routing, bending, and shaping/carving inlay.
SCHEDULE:
The project is going to feature a bookcase that includes inlays, through tenons, and a sliding dovetail.
Friday, November 3, 7pm – 9pm: Gary will present a short lecture on “What We Can Agree Upon,” a short chat about woodworking and woodworkers, followed by slides of students work.
Saturday, November 4, 8am – 5pm: Lecture and demonstration by Gary.
Sunday, November 5, 10am – 4pm: Lecture and demonstration by Gary.
2023 Fall Seminar Registration has closed.
2023 FEES
