This Saturday, November 2 at the Early American Artisans Fair, we have three special events taking place throughout the day. Three of our exhibitors will be giving talks and demonstrations (beyond their normal booth setup) about their work, their backgrounds, and their experiences. If you come you can expect to hear a little about tools and technique, a bit of storytelling, and a likely a dash of philosophy about craft, hand work, and life.

10:30 AM - Fredy Huamán Mallqui
Architectural Wood Carver
Fredy has trained as a wood carver since he was nine years old in Peru. He'll be speaking about the cultural backdrop of his home country, his move to the US, and his professional work in conservation and restoration of art and antiques.

12:30 PM - David Fisher
Bowl Carver and Green Woodworker
David will be talking about and demonstrating axe and adze carving techniques and how momentum in movement and work can be a thrilling advantage if we learn to avoid its potential risks.

2:00 PM - Amy McAuley
Restoration Joiner at George Washington's Mount Vernon
Amy will be sharing details about what it's like to work with a defined set of hand tools from the 18th century in her preservation work at Mount Vernon.

We've posted a roll-up of the artisans who will be exhibiting, demonstrating, and selling at the Early American Artisans Fair on November 1 & 2, 2019.

This inaugural event features 25 local and regional makers who specialize in traditional hand skills in the following trades:

• Blacksmithing & Metalworking
• Fiber Arts & Weaving
• Fine Arts and Painting
• Folk Art
• Glass Blowing
• Leatherwork
• Luthiery
• Period Firearms
• Woodcarving & Bowl Carving
• Woodworking, Joinery, and Cabinetmaking

See the Show Preview here.

Drew Hocevar is not only a glass blower, but also a wood carver; however, his wood carving craft is not your typical backyard pursuit - he carves and restores carousel horses for the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, OH (where John Blazar, another exhibitor at this year's event, also carves). You may not know it, but you've likely seen Drew on the big screen, especially around Christmas each year since he played the role of Male Elf in A Christmas Story (1972).

Whimsical, detailed, and often mechanized, Barry Wheeler's creations are not the typical blacksmith products. Barry combines his training and experience in traditional blacksmithing with other metalworking skills to create items that make people smile.

These are the classes and events upcoming in the next four week period (Oct. 6 - Nov. 2, 2019):

• Oct 12: Introduction to Hand Tool Woodworking (Woodworking)
• Oct 19: Hand Cut Dovetails (Woodworking)
• Oct 26: Gun Stock Layout and Proportion (Period Firearms)
• Nov 1 - 2: Early American Artisans Fair (Event)

​Our full class calendar is always available here.
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Have a great week!

​This is the first of a four part series building a hanging wall shelf in tiger maple. The shelves are attached to the sides without fasteners using long sliding dovetails and hide glue. It's based on 18th century examples but likely has predecessors in the 17th century.