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TIME TO GET SCHOOLED! TUITION GRANTS NOW AVAILABLE!

The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild believes that the best ways to perfect a craft is to learn from peers and masters. One of the founding objectives of the Guild is to create a forum for local woodworkers to do just this by offering monthly educatonal meetings, our annual Northern Woods Exhibition, and by bringing in nationally recognized masters for the Fall Seminar.

We are now pleased to announce the return of the Tuition Grant Program to provide Guild members an opportunity to rub elbows with woodworking's finest! This program originally ran from 2002 through 2007.

We are certain the recipients will gain invaluable knowledge and that their inspiration and enthusiasm will surely infect the rest of us upon their return. You can't help but get excited when talking to previous grant recipients about their lessons at the Krenov School, the Anderson Ranch Art Center, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, or the North Bennet Street School.

For more about the rules of the program and a link to submit your online submission, visit the Guild Tuition Grant Application page.

December: Guild Tours at the Minneapolis Institute of Art!

We are excited to share that our December gathering will be at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Our private tours will focus on Furniture and Period rooms. You will see world class handmade chairs, tables and cabinets, a Chinese arched wooden entry gate, decorative carving, veneer work and fine joinery. The Connecticut room, The Charleston Rooms, The Frank Lloyd Wright hallway, are among the period rooms. We will study stand-alone and built-in furniture, across ages, cultures and continents. We’ll see a Japanese artist study, an Abbots space, a family reception room, and American 20th century-designed furniture, among other diverse spaces and items.
Registration has filled.

2020 NORTHERN WOODS EXHIBITION: APRIL 23 - 26, 2020

You are invited to present your work at the next Northern Woods Exhibition at Eden Prairie Center, April 23-26, 2020. Registration opens in January, but we are announcing it now so that you have plenty of time to prepare. The Northern Woods Exhibition is a great way for you to show your work to the public. It's also a fantastic way to meet with like minded woodworkers. What's more, each year we distribute over $4000 worth of prizes in 14 different award categories. You may enter an unlimited number of entries and up to two entries are eligible for judging. Each application must (1) describe the piece, (2) provide biographical information about its maker(s) and (3) provide high resolution photograph(s) of the work. The description must include dimensions, materials, and selling price if applicable. The photographs will appear on the Minnesota Woodworker's Guild website and in the Judge's manual. The only requirements are that entries must be made primarily of wood and that they have not been displayed at a previous Northern Woods Exhibition. For registration and entry rules, go to the NORTHERN WOODS EXHIBITION page.

Pictured Above: Cedar Strip Sea Kayak by John Zachman. 2019 Peer Award & Best in Show.

Have some Class(es)!

The Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association (CMWA) Fall 2018 - Spring 2019 CLASS LISTING is now available!
Build a Kumiko wall cabinet with Mike Pekovich, Decorative Veneerng with Joe Morgan, or just tune up your skills with a "Beyond the Basics" class!
CMWA offers top-quality classes. Check 'em out at the CMWA Website today!

Another Source for Lumber!

Wood from the Hood, an urban reclaimed lumber vendor here in Minneapolis, has started to offer dimensional and slabbed lumber for retail sale. They've been around for a while but are just now offering retail lumber. Check it out!

Wood from the Hood, 2640 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis 55406.
CONTACT

Alternatives to Youngblood Lumber

With the sad closing of Youngblood Lumber there has been a lot of information exchanged among members about other sources for our materials. We've gathered leads from members as well as updated the "Lumber and Plywood" category of the LINKS page.
Also, download or view this Listing of Retail and Wholesale Lumber Suppliers who provide discounts to Guild members. Please note the requirements set by the sponsors and that you will almost always need to present your Guild membership card.

Save a buck! Don't buy -- Use the Tool Library instead!

The Guild's TOOL RENTAL LIBRARY is a great resource for some expensive tools or ones that you need only occasionally, such as:
  • Drill bit sharpener for standard twist and brad point bits (professional grade system)
  • HVLP sprayer (American Turbine AT-3000)
  • Photography light and backdrop kit (professional grade)
  • Starrett 36" machinist straight edge (used for machine setup and alignment)
  • Veneering kit (vacuum bag)
  • Veritas power sharpening system
  • 20" Scroll Saw
Check out the Tool Rental Page for details!

About Us

The Minnesota Woodworkers Guild is a group of professional and amateur woodworkers bound together by three goals:

to advocate high standards in our craft
to meet new friends and discuss woodworking
to educate ourselves and the public about woodworking

The Guild hosts monthly educational meetings, offers an annual Fall Seminar and sponsors the annual “Northern Woods” show, an exhibition of fine woodworking. We welcome membership by all woodworkers, regardless of what they build, their level of skill, style of work, or their profession.

Our goal is to encourage the highest standards in woodworking, while allowing each of our members to grow at their own pace, from whatever level of skill and accomplishment they begin with.

Simply put, we want each of our members to become the best woodworker they are capable of, and to enjoy telling their Guild friends about it along the way.