Photo by Jesse Winters
By Jennifer Farnsworth
The beauty of the Adirondacks is something that for years many people have worked hard to preserve. The Adirondack Folk School in Lake Luzerne honors the arts, crafts and traditions of the area in a unique way.
It is making a name for itself as the craft school of the Adirondacks.
Based on a Danish folk school teaching model, the school philosophy is to encourage lifelong learning through preserving the traditional arts, crafts, and culture of the Adirondack region.
They offer a hands-on learning experience in over 20 different areas of craft, including basketry, blacksmithing, canoe building, weaving, quilting, woodworking and jewelry making.
Executive director Scott Hayden said in 2017, the school experienced a measurable increase in interest. There was a 40 percent increase in student enrollment. The school also expanded to neighboring areas to accommodate the increase in numbers.
“We have been able to greatly expand our school’s footprint. We have moved our weaving program to the neighboring Harmon House historic building 350 feet from the school, overlooking Rockwell Falls of the Hudson River. We have also extended our teaching space by offering canoe building, chair building, soap making and other classes at the Shirt Factory annex in Glens Falls,” said Hayden.
The school does not just appeal to locals, Hayden said they attract people from all over the country with varying backgrounds.
“We have people from all walks of life. We have a lot of people that come to the school from the Capital Region and North Country. People from as far away as Texas, North Carolina, Canada and beyond take classes here every year,” he said.
The school is mostly geared toward adults, but Hayden said they do have some classes for families and children. He said they are finding more and more women are taking an interest in trades and crafts like blacksmithing and woodworking, classes historically taken by men.
He said more men are developing skills in areas of craft thought to be more female driven, such as basketry and fiber arts.
The school’s instructors are made up of experienced teaching artisans whose objective is to see that students come to learn for the joy of learning.
“We hope the students experience something wonderful to cross off of their bucket list and that they leave with a story to share, a smile and an heirloom-quality item or a new skill that they learned themselves. There is an atmosphere of positive energy and enthusiasm in every class, shared among students from different backgrounds, abilities and talents. Our instructors are encouraged by this positivity, which makes for an exceptional teaching experience,” said Hayden.
The school has staff on hand to field phone calls, host tours, and provide general upkeep. Hayden said it is his goal to provide as much outreach as he can in an effort to secure necessary funding from public and private sources.
“We are always seeking more volunteers. We have a very active board of directors and a small cadre of volunteers who help our school with events and disturbing our catalogs, “said Hayden.
Hayden said the school is always looking to move forward and expand. He said it is the combination of the school’s love of learning and the love of the Adirondacks that has made them appealing to so many.
“As for the future of our school, we have our sights set on growth. We are continually looking for ways to expand into other areas of learning and craft,” he said. “We are exploring classes in stained glass, pottery, music, cooking and craft beverage making. We would like to someday expand to a larger facility as our school continues to grow and we reach more people.
“We take a lot of pride in being a part of the Adirondack’s creative and tourist economies and supporting scores of local businesses and artisans. We are excited for our future and reaching more people in 2018 and beyond.”
To learn more visit www.adirondackfolkschool.org.