Workshops

Backyard Beekeeping Workshop
May 11
Learn the benefits of beekeeping for your home and your community. Workshop includes all materials for building a beehive, most of which you’ll assemble by the end of the day with the guidance of our expert instructor.

Backyard Poultry Workshop
June 1
From where to buy hatchlings and hens to how to clean out the coop, learn everything you need to know about maintaining your own backyard chicken flock, and get hands-on experience with the HSV flocks and take an insider’s peek into our coops, incubators, and brooders.

Oval Box Basics Workshop
June 15 & 16
Make your own nest of four traditional Shaker boxes while learning to carve swallow tails, bend the box, and install tops and bottoms. A great weekend for novice woodworkers to get a good start, and for experienced woodworkers to develop a new skill.

Hand-Cut Dovetail Workshop
July 6
The Shakers were well versed in hand joinery, and used dovetails in boxes, case construction, and drawers. In this one day workshop, you will make either a pine candle box or a pine tray using dovetail joinery taught by expert instructor Steve Grasselli.

Photographing the City of Peace
July 27
Hone your digital photography skills with Berkshire Eagle photographer Ben Garver, whose signature style and unique perspective on the Berkshires are widely known. Includes classroom and field time, with ample opportunity to practice the techniques learned.

Advanced Oval Box Workshop
August 10 & 11
Build on your woodworking skills and master the form of the Oval Box. Students may make bigger boxes than in Box Basics, or advance to other oval box-like projects such as oval carriers or trays.

Timber Framing: A Traditional Approach
September 25-29
Participants learn the craft of timber frame construction using 18th and 19th century tools and techniques, completing the parts and assembling the frame of a small building. Instructional demonstrations and discussions supplement hands-on learning.

Digital Photographic Artistry
October 12
Instructor Fred LeBlanc will help students apply traditional photographic values, composition and story telling to the new era of digital photography, and will also cover new tools available in the digital realm, such as HDR (High Dynamic Range) settings and techniques.

Shaker Chimney Cupboard
A private, one-on-one opportunity, scheduled at the student’s convenience, to custom build this classic Shaker design. The size of this piece can be modified slightly to suit individual needs.Custom pieces built with pine, in keeping with Shaker tradition. 3-day workshop. Includes materials and instruction with Steve Grasselli.