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North House is modeled on the Scandinavian folkeshoskole, developed in Denmark in the 19th century. The center began with a skin-on-frame kayak-building class in the mid-1990s. It soon evolved into a nonprofit with an initial course catalog of 26 offerings. The current roster is an impressive 350 courses, taught by more than 100 artisans.
A distinguishing characteristic of North House is that all classes fall under the umbrella of traditional Northern craft. That means courses explore the material and cultural history of the North’s indigenous peoples, as well as its Norwegian and Scandinavian immigrants. Instruction is offered in yurt building, dovetail log cabin construction, building with stone, and straw bale construction. Communications director Kate Watson notes the particular dedication of timber-framing attendees, who “ship home what they’ve built and reassemble it.“
In boat building, recent courses included building classic wooden rowboats and cedar-strip kayak or canoe building. You also can learn to sail or navigate on Lake Superior; one tempting class is a five-day sailing trip through the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
Furniture and woodworking classes range from Adirondack and twig chair-making to steam-bending Scandinavian-style containers. There is also a quirky sellout: “Bury Yourself In Your Work: Build Your Own Casket.“
In February, the annual fiber retreat (held in conjunction with the Grand Marais Art Colony, the oldest art colony in the state) will feature Icelandic fiber artists. “Fiber people form communities,“ Watson says. “They do everything from felting to knitting to mukluks.“
Norwegian heritage offerings may include rosemaling Christmas ornaments, where participants decorate wooden ornaments with the colorful folk painting. “Birch Bark Boxes: Scandinavian Bark Basketry“ teaches the art of finger- and lap-jointed boxes that are both decorative and useful. Students in “Sew Your Own: Scandinavian Work Shirts“ use striped fabrics of natural fibers to make heritage garments.
North House holds three major seasonal events to which all are welcome. Activities at the Winterer’s Gathering and Arctic Film Festival (Nov. 20-23) will include winter skills seminars, tent camping, and talks by sea kayakers who recently paddled across southern Baffin Island in Inuit-style kayaks they made themselves. In 2015, the Wooden Boat Show & Summer Solstice Festival (June 19-21) includes a wooden boat display.
Another way to enjoy North House is through its thematic weekends. Coming up in 2015 are Northern Fibers Retreat (Feb 12-15), Wood Week (March 5-9), Northern Sustainability Symposium (May 1-3), and the Northern Landscapes Festival (May 29-31).
