This list includes the individuals who are currently scheduled to teach courses
at North House. Additional individuals contribute their valuable talents to
North House as well, but may not be listed at this time as the courses
they teach are not currently scheduled.
* North House staff are listed at the base of this page *

David/Lise Abazs - Finland, MN
David and Lise of Round River Farm live on the North Shore of Lake Superior.  There the rocky soil provides the materials to build their homestead, and the northern elements provide the solar and wind power to keep it all running.  The Abazs grow and sell organic fruit, vegetables, wreaths, and raise livestock.  Teaching, consulting and installing renewable energy systems fill out their lives as they strive to balance their needs with what the Earth can provide.

Roger Abrahamson - Minneapolis, MN
Roger is a traditional bowl turner.  Using a spring pole lathe, hand-forged tools, and freshly harvested native woods, he specializes in the creation of Norwegian ale vessels.  Roger's fascination with these objects has its roots in his immigrant grandmother's ale bowl, which is still in the family. Roger has demonstrated his trade at the Nordic Fest, Norsk Hostfest, the Minnesota State Fair, the Smithsonian Institute's Viking Exhibition, and several other historic sites. He has been a turner for 18 years, working with a pole lathe exclusively for the past 12.

Chel Anderson - Grand Marais, MN
Chel is a plant ecologist and botanist currently working with the County Biological Survey of the Minnesota DNR. An irrepressible outdoor enthusiast, powered by insatiable curiosity, she’s worked in northeastern Minnesota for over 30 years. During that time her work has included rare plant and plant community surveys; conservation and management planning; research, and natural history interpretation and education.

Keith Anderson - Cumberland, WI
Retired in 1996 as a professor of German at St. Olaf College, Keith is able to indulge his fascination with Norwegian wood carving.  Inspired by acanthus classes with Phil and Else Odden, and flat plane carving with Harley Refsal, he has become a regular woodcarving instructor.   He does commissioned pieces in acanthus and in flat plane figure carving.

Philis Anderson - Grand Marais, MN
Philis has owned and trained horses since the 1970s.  The Norwegian Fjord horse has been her horse of choice in recent years because of its intelligence and gentle nature.  Philis and her horses enter pleasure driving competitions and shows, and her horses have received high evaluations in the Norwegian system of confirmation and work discipline.  Learn more about Philis at www.SawtoothMountainFjords.com.

Ohito Ashoona - Toronto, Ontario
Ohito was the winner of the 2002 National Aboriginal Achievement Award. He has had a very close relationship with nature, having spent all of his formative years living not in a settlement or community, but at an outpost camp. Here, he lived the traditional Inuit lifestyle in every sense of the word.   Although there were short visits to town for buying supplies, for all intents and purposes he lived and subsisted entirely off the land: fishing, and hunting for seals, walrus, whales, and caribou.   By his early teens, Ohito's destiny was set: he would be an artist like his father (Kaka Ashoona), his grandmother (Pitseolak Ashoona) and others that had gone before him. Unlike many of his peers, Ohito never ceased to nourish his Arctic roots.  He would soon become one of the best hunters in the community and a fully certified outfitting guide.   His love and respect for his culture, the environment and Arctic animals is very apparent in his work and all of his works are creative and his themes optimistic.   Life, however, was not always wonderful in the Arctic -- it was a very cruel and harsh existence in one of the most inhospitable environments in the world. His ability to portray things so beautifully speaks of his nature and personality.

David Asproth - Grand Marais, MN
David ties flies commercially and has a passion for brook trout fishing.  He has tied at five national events and currently serves as a demonstration fly-tier for the Federation of Fly fishers, the Arrowhead Fly fishers, and the Thunder Bay Fly fishers.  David continues to demonstrate his fly-tying and casting abilities through demonstrations at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo, Sawbug Festival in Arkansas, and the Chicago Sports Show.  David pioneered the use of the float tube in Cook County and has been instrumental in the shaping of youth educational programs with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Chef Judi Barsness - Lutsen, MN
Judi is Chef Owner of Chez Jude on Lake Superior's North Shore. Her restaurant, located on the Grand Marais Harbor, features contemporary cuisine, private dining, catering, and a series of culinary classes offered by Judi and her celebrated chef friends. For the past three years she has been one of the participating guest chefs at the Twin Cities Food & Wine Experience, and served an internship with Chef Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in California. Judi is the guest chef and cooking class instructor for Lutsen Resort & Sea Villa's Culinary Adventure Weekends; chef instructor at Byerley's School of the Culinary Arts, Minneapolis; and North House Folk School, Grand Marais. A second generation chef, Judi learned her passion for cooking & baking growing up in her mother's French kitchen. She has studied at The Culinary Institute of America, Greystone, and the National Baking Center.

John Beltman - Nashwauk, MN
John is a master woodworker who specializes in working with traditional hand tools and utilizing traditional building techniques. His students consistently comment that this approach permeates every class he teaches. John has recently concentrated his efforts on traditional early American methods of woodworking, including spring-pole lathe turning, the construction of snowshoes, and hand-crafting Windsor chairs & stools. John's training includes work with the Rockport Apprentice Shop in Maine, Strong's Canoe Yard in Vermont, and the Windsor Institute in New Hampshire.

Mike Benedict - Hastings, MN
Mike’s interest in ash basketry started when he studied basket making with several community Mohawk elders in the 1980s. His focus is primarily on traditional 'utility' baskets.  In 1999 Mike attended the University of Minnesota to pursue a master’s degree in black ash ecology. His research, which focused on identifying ideal sites for growing ash specifically for basket making, complements his brother’s work on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in Northern New York.  There, reintroducing and replanting former black ash stands has become a priority.  Mike is currently employed as forester for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Minneapolis.

Brian Bennett - Grand Marais, MN
Brian has been in the electrical trades field on and off since the 1970s.  He earned his masters license in 1999 and started his company "Outback Solar Electric" in 2000, specializing in the installation of photovoltaic systems ever since.  Brian was also an elementary physical education teacher for 12 years.  He likes the idea of energy efficiency in physical activity as well as best practices of electrical energy conservation.  So what does all this have to do with X-C skiing?

Dave Benson - Duluth, MN
Dave is a writer, guide, and naturalist from Duluth, Minnesota. His writing has appeared in “Birding,” “The Loon,” “Northern Wilds,” and other publications. He has served as a naturalist at Hawk Ridge and at several state parks. Dave's ornithological work includes conducting surveys for the Minnesota DNR, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibway, Grand Portage National Monument, and the USFWS Breeding Bird Survey.

Dedrick Benz - Winona, MN
Dedrick has birded every county in Minnesota, but Grand Marais still remains perhaps his favorite spot in the state, especially since his November 1999 sighting of an Ancient Murrelet. Dedrick has conducted surveys in the bottomland forests of southeastern Minnesota and has led field trips in Detroit Lakes and Grand Marais.

Traudi Bestler - Minnetonka, MN
Traudi has been weaving and creating textile projects for over 30 years.  Her prime interest is in passing along the history and joy of making fiber art. Traudi studied weaving, spinning, and dyeing at the Weaver's Guild of Minnesota,  The Weaving School and Sievers School of Fiber Arts.  She currently teaches weaving and dyeing at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts and has been a workshop presenter for the last 25 years at the MN Federation of Weavers conferences.

Jerry Bonkoski - Prior Lake, MN
Jerry’s interest in birds began when he observed a Horned Lark in his yard in Byron, Minnesota in the 1970s. Since then he has become an avid bird watcher, investing time and energy finding birds throughout Minnesota. An active member of the Bluebird Recovery Committee in southeastern Minnesota, he has built thousands of nesting boxes and monitored hundreds of them. Jerry is a past president of the Minnesota Ornithologist's Union. Recently, he has worked with Bob Janssen on the Minnesota DNR project to develop up-to-date bird species lists for each state park. Jerry retired from a career in computers in 2002.

Clark Bremer - Minneapolis, MN
Clark’s wife enrolled him in one of the first timber framing classes offered at North House and he hasn’t been the same since.  Clark now owns Northern Lights Timber Framing in Minneapolis, and he is a member of the Timber Framer’s Guild of North America.  In a former life he was a researcher at Bell Labs designing computer chips and software.  Visit www.northernlightstimberframing.com

Gilly the Sea Dog - Grand Marais, MN
Gilly, a native of Idaho, has been first mate onboard the schooner Hjørdis for the past seven years.  Her duties include lying around the deck and being petted by the customers.  She also helps keep the North House campus chipmunk-free.  She loves treats.

Matthew Brown - Grand Marais, MN
Active in sailing since the 1980s, Matthew has sailed a wide variety of boats from sloops to tall ships on the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.  A U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain, Matthew has played a major role aboard North House's schooner Hjørdis since she was acquired in September 1997.

Liz Bucheit/Kary Kilmer - Lanesboro, MN
Liz and Kary are co-owners of Crown Trout Jewelry in Lanesboro, Minnesota and have been goldsmiths for over 25 years.  They have trained in traditional jewelry and metalworking techniques both in Ireland and Norway, and have been awarded grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, Sons of Norway, and the SE Minnesota Arts Council.  Known for their Scandinavian-inspired bridal crown and wedding jewelry, they recently launched the Black Passion Jewel.Com website.  Preview their work at www.crowntrout.com.

Kurt Buetow - Downing, WI
Kurt's claim to fame is winning the international canvas furniture design competition in 1974 in Tokyo with his innovative design of the now- ubiquitous, fabric 'hanging chair.' His design career has included exploration of different hammock styles, sail designs and alternative housing options.  Kurt enjoys seeing people take hold of their natural world.  Designing and building is his first language.

Dennis Chilcote - Minneapolis, MN
Dennis has a great appreciation for historical crafts and a long-standing fascination with the way our ancestors expressed art through craft.  In that vein, he uses baskets, brooms and traditional woodwork as both canvas and palette for his art.  You can view his work at mnartists.org/dennis_chilcote.

Carol Colburn - Cedar Falls, IA
Carol travels throughout Norway to find inspiration from the landscape, people, and from old clothes found in museums and private homes.  Some of her favorite historic garments were discovered in the walls of old log buildings; tucked into cracks ages ago for insulation. During the academic year, she teaches costume design and technology at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.  She has also taught garment design and construction at Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa and at Vesaas Farm Studio in Telemark, Norway.

Alex Comb - Knife River, MN
Alex started canoeing when he was eleven and built his first boat shortly thereafter.  Alex built his first canoe in 1972 and started his own business, Stewart River Boatworks in 1979 to build wood-canvas canoes.   His business now includes 11 canoe models, a series of Greenland inspired sea kayaks, and several rowing boat designs.   Alex lives in Knife River, where he can often be found with his daughter Fiona returning stones to Lake Superior that  have been washed up on shore.

Nancy Cooley - Hermitage, TN
Nance is an award winning artist with more than 20 national juried shows to her credit. She is presently the Artist in Residence for MTSU’s James Walker Library’s Press Project producing works on the 18th century reproduction hand press. Along with broadsides and book projects being produced, she is currently working on a site specific mixed media installation piece for Nashville’s Main Library. Nance has taught drawing, painting, letterpress, relief printing, book arts and experimental letterpress processes in private, public and university settings.

Bill Coperthwaite - Machiasport, ME
Bill has been combing the world for simpler craft techniques for over 50 years - seeking ways for beginning handcrafters to drawn into the joyous world of creating with the hands.  Bill's approach to handcraft, simple living,  and education are penned in his book, A Handmade Life.  He is the director of the Yurt Foundation in Machiasport, Maine and introduced the yurt to the West in 1962.

Jim Dahn - Rolling Meadows, IL
forthecoming

Nancy Daley - Lutsen, MN
Nancy has studied and practiced the art of papermaking by hand since the 1980s. She uses ancient non-mechanized techniques, similar to the way papermaking was first invented in China.  Nancy's fascination with the craft inspired her to travel overseas to visit remote hill villages in northwestern China where papermaking has been practiced for centuries. The non-mechanized process gives the artist a sense of participation in the natural ongoing cycle of growth, decay, and regeneration.

Nancy Daley - Lutsen, MN
Nancy has studied and practiced the art of papermaking by hand since the 1980s. She uses ancient non-mechanized techniques, similar to the way papermaking was first invented in China.  Nancy's fascination with the craft inspired her to travel overseas to visit remote hill villages in northwestern China where papermaking has been practiced for centuries. The non-mechanized process gives the artist a sense of participation in the natural ongoing cycle of growth, decay, and regeneration.

Virginia Danfelt/Bob Martin - Hovland, MN
Bob and Virginia have been timber framing on the North Shore since 1986 and are the owners of Lake Superior Timber Framing. They are members of the Timber Framers Guild and are married and have two children. Visit their web site: www.lakesuperiortimberframing.com

Kiko Denzer - Blodgett, OR
Kiko started playing with mud a few years ago and just couldn’t stop.  He has led Earthen Oven Building workshops in the US, Canada, Mexico and England. He is the author of “Build Your Own Earth Oven” and “Dig Your Hands in the Dirt: A Manual for Making Art out of Earth” (handprintpress.com).  He is also a teaching artist in the Oregon Arts in Education program, a sculptor and builder, and a gardener. He and his wife Hannah Field (a wood-fired artisan baker) share a home, garden, and two boys.  Learn more about Kiko on his web page:  http://www.intabas.com/kikodenzer.html

Patty Doherty - Grand Marais, MN
A life-long knitter, Patty began felting in 1988.  She demonstrated hand felting for three summers at the historic Swedish settlement at Bishop Hill, Illinois under a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.  A natural teacher, Patty has offered workshops for children and adults at local schools, 4-H, the Fiber Arts Guild, and North House.  Patty also loves traditional folk dancing and is part of the local music group, "Over the Waterfall."

Ben Doornbos - Holland, MI
Having hiked the Appalachian Trail, rafted the Mississippi River, and interned at North House, Ben brings varied experience to his role as captain of Hjørdis.  Ben is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain and a graduate of Northern Michigan University's Outdoor Recreation Leadership and Management Program.

Kristi Downing - Grand Marais, MN
Kristi began potting in the 1960s, but it is only since "retiring" in 1998 that she has been able to pursue her dream in earnest.  Her studio and raku kiln are located on the Lake Superior shore just east of Grand Marais.  She currently teaches at the Grand Marais Art Colony as well as at North House.  In  2002 Kristi and her raku firing were featured on two Twin Cities television stations: Channel 45, "Environmental Journal," and Channel 5, "On The Road with Jason Davis."  She is one of 14 artists on the fall Duluth-to-Thunder Bay Crossing Borders Art and Studio tour.

Carol Dunn - Pine River, MN
Carol is a 5th grade teacher with a master's degree in curriculum and instruction.  As a way to relax and maintain her calm easy-going personality she became a "hooker" when a friend taught her to rug hook in 1989.  In the 20 years since then, Carol has attended many hooking retreats and workshops, and has taught hooking to friends and family members. Carol and her husband Bart (who still does not have his own rug!) have been coming to Grand Marais on their summer vacation for numerous years.  Carol’s sister Mary is a rug hooking designer – see samples at www.designsinwool.com.

Lonnie Dupre - Grand Marais, MN
During an Arctic career spanning more than two decades, Lonnie Dupre has traveled over 14,000 miles throughout the high Arctic regions of northeastern Russia, Lapland, Alaska, Canada and Greenland. He has led five major Arctic expeditions and participated in six.  Lonnie's expeditions have been featured in Reader's Digest, Sports Illustrated, Outside, and National Geographic Online.  In 1991 he organized and led the Northwest Passage Expedition, making a 3,000-mile transit of the Canadian Arctic by dog sled while comparing changes in Inuit culture since Knud Rasmussen’s expedition in 1923. Recently, Lonnie worked on the One World Expedition project, a trip from Greenland to the North Pole, pulling and paddling specially modified canoes across shifting sea ice and open ocean to raise awareness of global warming and climate change.  Visit www.lonniedupre.com.

Tina Fung Holder - Washburn, WI
Since 1996 Tina Fung Holder has lived and worked in northwest Wisconsin after moving from the urban city life in Chicago.  While pursuing her formal education in Chicago, Tina did extensive research in basketry techniques at the Field Museum.  Since moving to the Northwoods she has explored both traditional and new applications of the available natural materials, and thinks that anything that grows flexible is fair game.  Tina enjoys developing new basket designs and teaching them in workshops.  Her basketry is sold in galleries in the region.

Bruce Futterer - Russellville, AR
Bruce has been an avid carver since 1977.  Since 2000, Bruce has won numerous blue ribbons at the International Carving Competition held each year in Davenport, Iowa. In 2004 his Santa Claus carving was selected as the National Grand Prize winner in the Woodcraft/Wood Carving Illustrated contests.  In 2006 Bruce won Best of Show at the National Caricature Carvers Competition and in 2005, he was awarded a Gold Medal for Scandianvian style carving from the Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum.  Bruce was raised in Grand Marais and returns to the North Shore each summer.  Visit http://futtererwoodcarving.blogspot.com/

Ted Gephart - Bayfield, WI
Ted lives on Wisconsin's 'north coast'  of Lake Superior with his wife and two daughters.  He missed the boat for the first time as a young boy, and has been doing it since then as a hobby.  Okay, he's also been a charter captain since 1985. Among the many marine classes Ted has instructed are Wisconsin boater safety and the U.S. Coast Guard license exam review course.  He is also founder of North Coast Community Sailing.

Jim Gilbert - Waconia, MN
Since 1998 Jim has been an instructor of environmental studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.   Previously Jim served as a Hopkins Public School science teacher and naturalist for 30 years. He is a consulting naturalist for WCCO Radio, co-author of the Minnesota Weatherguide Calendars, author of three books on nature in Minnesota, and writer of a weekly newspaper column.

Nathan Gourley - Minneapolis, MN
Nathan held his first fiddle at 2 years of age.  At numerous fiddle and folk music festivals Nathan was exposed to all sorts of fiddlers such as Martin Hayes, Liz Carroll, Alasdair Fraser, Brendan Mulvahill, Dale Russ and Laura Risk, and traditional Irish music has become Nathan's passion. Now settled in the Twin Cities, he is also a member of The Two Tap Trio and The Doon Ceili Band, in addition to being active in numerous Irish sessions.

John Green - Duluth, MN
John has been exploring the North Shore in all seasons since he moved to Duluth from New England in 1958.  He has mapped and researched the geology of the area for most of that time, and has led scores of field trips for both amateurs and professionals to show off its rocky wonders.  Professor emeritus of Geological Sciences for the University of Minnesota, John is also an avid birder and amateur botanist and a long-time supporter of the Superior Hiking Trail.

Dave Grosshuesch - Duluth, MN
Dave started his career in birds by working on a number of avian research projects (including hawks, owls, and passerines) in California, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and British Columbia.  He coordinated the Passerine Banding Operation at the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory from 1996 to 2007, and the Western Great Lakes Region Owl Monitoring Survey from 2005 to 2007.  Dave currently works as a biological technician for the U.S. Forest Service on the Superior National Forest.  Despite his interest in all nesting birds of the boreal forest, he remains focused in the nesting ecology of Northern Hawk Owls.

Don Hammer - Grand Marais, MN
Don Hammer is a Northfield, Minnesota native who now lives in Grand Marais. Don has an art degree from the University of Wisconsin- River Falls. Don honed his metal fabrication and design skills during a career as an automotive coachbuilder focusing on prototype and concept car and motorcycle fabrication. Don has taught blacksmithing classes with The Guild of Metalsmiths for a number of years, as well as classes in metal sculpture at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. Don is currently the executive director of the Grand Marais Art Colony.

Mark Hansen - Grand Marais, MN
Mark has a particular interest in work boats of the North, and has studied boat building in Greenland and in Norway.  He has built birch bark canoes, Greenland kayaks, Umiaks, Norse prams, and a variety of traditional wooden sail and row boats of the north. Mark's other interests include winter camping with a traditional outfit, wooden skis, and birch toboggans. Actively involved in the founding of North House, Mark has been teaching since 1995 and operates Hansen Boat Works.

Shirley Hansen - Minneapolis, MN
Shirley has been instructing at North House since its beginning in 1997.  A retired teacher who has spent a significant amount of time in Scandinavia learning knitting techniques, she relishes sharing her interest in traditional fiber arts.  Knitting and embroidery, sweaters and vests, hats and mittens - Shirley has a knack for bringing projects alive.  Her instructing experience also includes cooking, knitting, and many other courses in the Twin Cities.

Dave Hanson - Duluth, MN
Metalworking has always been important in Dave's life, as his family owned one of the largest machine shops in Iowa.  Known to have one of the largest private blacksmith shops in the five-state area, Dave spends countless hours around the Midwest demonstrating his work and skills to the public at rendezvous and special events.  Dave founded the Lake Superior Metal Smith club.  Other pasttimes include training and caring for his horses, woodcarving, and pottery.

Kate Hartman - Madison, WI
Kate first learned to knit while in high school.  Since then, she has explored a variety of knitting traditions, including both the English/American and Continental knitting techniques, lace knitting, Aran, and the multi-colored Fair Isle and Scandinavian techniques.  Kate enjoys making sweaters, socks, mittens, and other garments in a variety of styles and materials, using many of her own wheel-spun yarns.  She likes teaching and believes that enjoyment and enthusiasm are necessary as adults learn a new craft.  Kate currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin and has the good fortune of being married to a knitter/spinner.

Tom Healy - Whitefish, MT
Tom is a professional timber framer, a member of the Timber Frame Guild of North America, and a biology graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In addition to teaching, Tom served as co-director for North House from 1997 to 2000, and as a member of the North House board. He and his wife Meagen raise Wirehaired Pointing Griffons and operate a Nordic Ski Lodge in Whitefish, Montana. www.stillwatermtnlodge.com

Peter Henrikson - Grand Marais, MN
Peter settled in Grand Marais after a transient career of log building, basket making, timber bridge building, and teaching timber skills on public lands.  He is now a professional timber framer and designer, and has been teaching timber framing at North House since 1998. Peter has taught black ash basketry and paddle making courses, but now focuses on timber framing and spending time with his family (he's a man who's rich in daughters).

Dick Hensold - Minneapolis, MN
Dick is currently one of the foremost Northumbrian smallpipers in North America, has performed in Scotland and has taught Northumbrian smallpipes at workshops across the United States, Canada, and Northumberland. In demand as an accompanist, arranger, and theater musician, his recent projects include work at the Guthrie, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, and Children's Theater.  He is a 2006 Bush Artist Fellow.

Mike Hero - Grand Marais, MN
Mike Hero caught his first trout on a fly stream of the North Shore more than 40 years ago and he has avidly tied flies and fly fished the lakes and streams of the area ever since.  Mike also has extensive experience fishing the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin, as well as many of the famous trout streams of the eastern and western U.S.  He was a long time member of the St. Paul Fly Tiers Club and is a life member of Trout Unlimited.

John Hockema - Rochester, MN
John started birding in 1984 with his mentor, Dr. Risser, to whom he was introduced by his grandmother.  Since then, John has traveled across the state of Minnesota chasing birds. On June 11, 2004, John became the third earliest ever to record 300 species of birds in one year in Minnesota, finding his 300th, a Least Bittern, near Marshall, Minnesota. He has been doing big years in Minnesota since 1998, but vows to give them up to avoid bankruptcy. Sharing his enthusiasm for birding takes many forms, including serving as a guide/instructor for spring and fall bird festivals at North House.

Ivy Hocking - Grand Marais, MN
Dog mushing has a long history in Cook County, with kennels now operating for over 30 years.  Since the early 1990s, Ivy has had the privilege of working with several of these kennels, assisting in dog care, training, handling, equipment and trail maintenance, trail guiding, and as a race helper.  In addition, Ivy has extensive experience teaching others about the excitement of dog sledding through presentations at schools, resorts, and in the greater community.

Stephan Hoglund - Grand Marais, MN
Stephan is a jewelry designer who has lived and worked in Grand Marais since the 1980s.  Stephan's work has been featured in galleries and design publications throughout the country.  His inspiring gallery and jewelry business is located on the harbor in downtown Grand Marais.  In 1999, he received both a McKnight and a Jerome Foundation Fellowship. His works are featured in detail on his web site: stephanhoglund.com.

Allen Holzhueter - Madison, WI
Allen has been knitting since the 1980s with an interest in multicolor knitting techniques. He has focused on the knitting traditions of Northern Europe and the British Isles, and has taught traditional Scandinavian, Fair Isle and Latvian projects using the multicolor technique.  Allen has expanded on his fiber interests to include spinning his own knitting yarns on one of his several spinning wheels. Allen lives in Madison  where he divides his time among knitting and spinning projects - and spoiling the family Greyhounds.

Amy James - Grand Marais, MN
Amy taught herself to bake using a free Fleischmann Yeast booklet back in 1972.  She has been a teacher almost as long, in settings from traditional school classrooms to wilderness, with students from preschoolers through seniors, and covering topics from life science to sea kayaking.  Combining her passions for teaching and baking, with a little science and history thrown in for good measure, Amy leads bread baking courses for new to intermediate bakers.

Peter James - Grand Marais, MN
Peter has been drinking beer for over 30 years and began to discover how to make beer he really enjoys drinking about 12 years ago.  Since then he has brewed well over 100 batches of beer in over 20 different styles and has progressed from pre-packaged kits to all-grain brewing. Peter and his wife Amy currently own, operate, and occasionally drink beer at the Wedgewood Motel, east of Grand Marais.

Bob Janssen - Chanhassen, MN
Bob first journeyed to the North Shore and Grand Marais when the main highway was still gravel.  Since then, Bob has continued to travel the entire state in pursuit of his passion - birds.  Past president of the Minnesota Ornithologists Union (MOU), Bob served as editor of the MOU journal "The Loon" for 38 years, and has received multiple awards for his birding efforts.  Actively involved in numerous bird surveys around the state, including all of Minnesota's 71 state parks, Bob has published three books on Minnesota birds.

Kent Jones - Grand Marais, MN
Kent has a passionate and professional interest in the ecology and history of northern Minnesota. He loves to explore the often-overlooked areas. Before moving to the North Shore, he worked for 20 years as an interpretive naturalist near the Twin Cities. This led him to research and experiment with elements of sustainable living. He now lives in his self-built timber frame, cordwood masonry, solar-powered home in the woods near Grand Marais.

Russ Karasch - Avon, MN
Russ has been making sawdust for about forty of his forty-five years. Woodworking is his passion - he loves creating things with his hands. At sixteen Russ started a furniture making shop, and at age 20 he built the log home he lives in today with his family.  The log home and timber frame industry engaged his energies for about 12 years, and re-sawing lumber for barrel builders introduced him to craft of barrel making (cooperage). He purchased the Barrel Mill Company in 2000. Russ often presents blacksmithing, cooperage and wheel wright demonstrations.  Russ reports: I married a Norwegian but I’m taking medication for it, so I should be ok! He loves humor, working hard, people, and life.

Julie Kean - Hovland, MN
Julie has been making baskets and ornaments since 1981.  She utilizes materials gathered from the woods around her home in Hovland.  Her favorite materials are birch bark and red-osier dogwood.  In 2001, Julie's artistic talents were featured on the program "Venture North" on public television.  At times, Julie integrates other natural materials into her work, including pinecones, driftwood, and spruce roots.

Layne Kennedy - Minneapolis, MN
Layne Kennedy is a nationally recognized magazine photographer. His assignments take him all around the globe for publications like Smithsonian, National Geographic, Traveler, Islands, Backpacker, Time, Newsweek, and National Geographic Adventure to name a few. Layne is the founder and director of the Superior/Gunflint Photography Workshop conducting wilderness adventure photography trips. Visit his website at: www.laynekennedy.com

Don Kevilus - St. Francis, MN
Don is the proprietor and owner of the renowned Four Dog Stove Company.  He has been designing and building wood stoves for the past 21 years and is known as the leading innovator in traditional trail stove design and construction.  All of his items are hand crafted in his small Minnesota-based workshop with his wife, Roxanne.  Don’s passion for creating a tested and true design is evident in his stories of hunters, trappers, outfitters, and guides that have helped shape his work.

Art Kidd - Grand Marais, MN
From Huron to Michigan to Superior, the Great Lakes are no stranger to Art who has been sailing their waters since 1987.  Art's keen sense of sailing is equaled by his passion for building small wooden watercraft.   Art has been building prams at North House during the winter season since retiring from teaching mathematics in 1998.

Kevin Kinney - Duluth, MN
Kevin is a Penn State graduate, outdoor industry veteran, and lifelong silent sports enthusiast.  He cut his teeth working for other companies with the goal of building his own.  Now, nestled into a quiet Duluth shop, he draws upon 30 years of experience as designer and athlete, to craft outerwear using traditional textiles that offer timeless performance.

Phyllis Knutson - Amery, WI
Phyllis has been weaving with rattan reed and teaching basketry since the early 1990s.  In 1999 she was introduced to birch bark and found new excitement working with this beautiful, leather-like bark.  She has been privileged to teach at the annual Heikinpaiva Mid-Winter Festival at Hancock, Michigan; John C. Campbell Folk School at Brasstown, North Carolina; and basket weaving guilds and community ed classes.  In addition to teaching, she sells her baskets at art shows and galleries.

Ken Koscik - Monona, WI
Canoes and canoeing are Ken’s passion.  If he’s not building canoes for the local Kiwanis club he’s paddling them in the Quetico.  Ken first learned to build canoes in 1968 and has added over 45 new projects to his list since then.  A former student at the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, Maine, Ken keeps refining the cedar strip construction technique.  The chevron has become his trademark.

Nathanael Kuenzli - Grand Marais, MN
Captain Nathanael is a U.S. Coast Guard licensed Master Mainer. Nathanael enjoys exploring remote areas by boat, overland vehicle, and on foot. His passion is large format landscape photography, and his online gallery can be viewed at www.KuenzliPhotography.com

Elise Kyllo - Minneapolis, MN
Elise is a gardener and visual artist.  She finds balance in the urban chaos by engaging the seasons.  In the summer, she is usually outdoors in somebody’s garden - in the cold months, she is making art.  The simplicity and endless possibilities of working with wool intrigues her, especially creating felted creatures inspired by her experiences as a painter and printmaker.  “I can’t think of a more meditative, pure and organic medium than working with wool and water and reusing old socks.”

Bill Lane - Tofte, MN
Despite 23 years of not-so-subtle hints from daylight, Bill Lane unflinchingly continues to conduct nocturnal owl surveys in northeast Minnesota each spring.  Since he started in 1987, he has experienced the night, its landscapes, and its denizens through a wondrous mix of awe, glee, disbelief, and (sometimes) disdain; but always with a passion that remains as powerful in 2009, as it was in 1987.  His passion, however, has been tempered by the fact that the owl he first sought in 1987 has virtually disappeared from Minnesota’s boreal forest.  Bill perseveres, however, because he isn’t quite ready to surrender to daylight and, like any good biologist, he wants to see what happens next.    Learn more about Bill's efforts at http://www.mindspring.com/~owlman/

Marlo Larson - Grand Marais, MN
Trained at Pipestone Meat Cutting School, Marlo has been practicing his trade as a butcher for over 30 years in both large and small stores in Minnesota.  He is the head meat cutter for local grocer, Johnson's Foods, in Grand Marais, Minnesota, where he has been working for over 20 years.  Marlo's experience largely stems from making fresh sausage, designing recipes and utilizing wild game.

Fred Livesay - St Paul, MN
Fred discovered his woodworking skills at age 10.  He later trained as a wheelwright and carriage-builder for seven summers, and then went on to study Scandinavian folk art, decorative arts, art history, and museum studies.  Fred currently makes his living as a carpenter but hopes to make teaching and craftwork his full-time job.  Fred has taught at North House since its beginning, demonstrates crafts all over the five state area and has also instructed at Goods from the Woods, the American Swedish Institute, and Woodcraft.

Derek Lucchese - South Gillies, ONT
Derek is an understudy and long-time friend of the famed bread oven builder Alan Scott.  In fact, Derek’s first run-in with Alan happened during one of the first bread oven building workshops that North House ever hosted.  Since then, Derek has gone on to build a wood-fired bakery of his own on a homestead just outside Thunder Bay, Canada.  Derek runs a portable wood-fired pizza business and builds brick ovens in addition to baking weekly for the Thunder Bay Country Market.

Laura MacKenzie - Minneapolis, MN
Laura has performed traditional music across North America, has toured nationally with Lorie Line and her Pop Chamber Orchestra, and was part of the original "Cherish the Ladies" series, concerts featuring noted women in Irish music in America.  She has been recognized as a Master Folk Artist by the Minnesota State Arts Board, awarded a McKnight Foundation Performing Arts Fellowship, and received Minnesota Music Academy Awards in both Celtic vocal and instrumental music.

Eric Mase - Ely, MN
In 1996, Eric Mase moved to Ely,  Minnesota to continue building birch bark canoes.  Since then, he has built over 60 bark canoes, both full sized and scale models.  For the past ten years Eric has spent time renewing his true passion: the drum.  Eric's focus on the cedar hand drum has been influenced by the same traditional tools and building methods that stem from handcrafted bark canoes.

Charlie Mayo - St Croix Falls, WI
Since the 1970s, Charlie has had a consuming interest in birch bark.  He has traveled to Scandinavia many times to study with the masters while pursuing this interest.  He has demonstrated at Rice Lake Audubon, Swedish Institute, Luther College, Hostfest, and the Minnesota State Fair.  Charlie is a founding board member of North House.

Mike McCall - Elmore, MN
Mike was born sometime in the last century in a humble log cabin that he built with his own hands.  When asked about his early life, Michael tends to mumble and change the subject.  If he isn't out collecting fungus or flint, he may be seen wandering the beach at Grand Marais where he believes he lost his Congressional Medal of Honor.  Mike's favorite color is blue.

Marcie McIntire - Grand Portage, MN
Beadwork is widely practiced at Grand Portage where generation after generation it has enlivened the lives of Ojibwe people.  Many of Marcie's relatives have been beadworkers, and Marcie learned by watching her mother. Today she is a traditional artist specializing in floral-based Ojibwe beadwork, operating her own gallery, Ningii-Ozhitoomin Ojibwe Art Gallery, in Grand Portage. Marcie has been  commissioned for exhibitions and instruction and teaches as far away as Arizona and Florida, and as close to home as Ontario and throughout Minnesota.  Learn more about her work by visiting www.mnfolkarts.org/marcie/marcie.html

Julie Miedtke - Grand Rapids, MN
A forester by training, Julie lives in the woods outside of Grand Rapids and is active as an educator for the University of Minnesota Extension - Itasca County.   She has a respect for nature and the life long learning it provides. Julie and husband Doug enjoy fishing, canoeing and exploring forests.  Julie helped initiate and execute the founding of the Goods From The Woods Project - a forest-based product educational event held annually in Grand Rapids, MN.

Mike Whelan - Minneapolis, MN
Mike learned ceili dancing as a youth in St Paul 35 years ago and has taught and called ceilis ever since.  He think dancing important aspect of Irish culture and makes the music more enjoyable. Mike notes "Anyone can learn this--elders to punk rockers -and love it."

Mark Morgan - Strum, WI
Mark has been working with renewable energy and sustainable building design and materials for 12 years. He is a builder and philosopher who enjoys presenting hands-on experiences and reshaping the way individuals think about construction and energy.  Mark has worked in a variety of roles with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association since 1990.  He owns and operates a renewable construction firm, Bear Paw Construction.  Visit www.bearpawconstruction.com.

Karen Mueller - Minneapolis, MN
Karen is the guitarist with Piper’s Crow, and also with Katie McMahon, original lead singer of Riverdance. Karen has been teaching guitar for almost 30 years and maintains an active private lesson schedule in the Twin Cities. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, she also plays and teaches autoharp, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, and bouzouki. She maintains a national touring schedule as a solo performer, instructor, and school residency artist. Karen has recorded three critically acclaimed solo albums and is the author of Mel Bay Publication’s Celtic Autoharp book. Her web site is www.karenmueller.com.

Cindy Muus - Grand Marais, MN
Cindy is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and has taught family and consumer sciences at Cook County High School in Grand Marais since 1976.  She has been an instructor with  North House since 1999 and calls this region home.   She enjoys sewing because it is not only a creative outlet, but it also gives one the ability to customize style, fabric, fit, and design features to suit individual tastes and needs.

Crystal Nelson - Grand Marais, MN
More info soon!

Phillip Odden/Else Bigton - Barronett, WI
Phillip and Else are professional woodcarvers and furniture makers in the Norwegian tradition. They have taught carving classes for over 20 years specializing in the classic ornamental styles of Baroque (acanthus), Rococo and Romanesque dragon style. Else is also an accomplished weaver and cabinet maker.  Phillip enjoys picture carving, free form ale bowls, and kubbestols.  The couple was commissioned to work on the  Stave Church which stands in the Norwegian Pavilion at Epcot in Florida and the Gol Stave Church replica which stands in Minot, North Dakota.  Visit www.norskwoodworks.com to learn more.

Cathryn Peters - Hudson, WI
Cathryn is a wicker furniture restoration expert, chair seatweaver, deer antler basketmaker, teacher, writer, pattern author who now hails from Angora, Minnesota. She delights in sharing her 26 years of accumulated knowledge and resources to those who desire to perpetuate the nearly lost art of wicker restoration, chair seat weaving, and basketry. Catheryn's works have appeared on public television, and in books, periodicals, national galleries, workshops, folk schools, and conventions. Visit her resource and information website at www.WickerWoman.com

Craig/Dianne Peterson - Grand Marais, MN
Craig and Dianne recently relocated to Grand Marais, Minnesota from Waseca, Minnesota, where they taught sausage making at Farmamerica, the Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center. With a focus on natural organic ingredients and healthy food products they have been teaching classes on making Swedish Potato Sausage at North House, as featured in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  Craig has helped the local grocer Johnson's Foods expand their market with a new sausage affectionately known as 'North House Wild,' using venison, cranberries and wild rice.

Harley Refsal - Decorah, IA
Harley specializes in Scandinavian-style flat plane figure carving, a minimalist style that leaves the tool marks exposed.  He has won numerous carving awards and has taught carving classes throughout the United States, Canada, and Scandinavia.  In 1996 he was decorated by the government and King of Norway for his contributions to Norwegian folk art studies.  Harley is the author of "Art and Technique of Scandinavian-Style Woodcarving."  In addition to his carving and teaching, Harley is a professor of Norwegian language and Scandinavian folk art at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.

Arna Rennan - Duluth, MN
Arna is one of the foremost experts in traditional Norwegian folk music in the Midwest. She builds upon what she has learned from her immigrant parents and her 15 years of living in Norway.  Arna spent a year studying at the College of Telemark Folk Music Institute in Rauland with a focus on "kveding" vocal folk music. She performs extensively at regional ethnic festivals and has two CDs - her first solo, called "Nordic Shores," and most recently one with her ensemble called "Nordic Angst."  Arna also plays the langeleik (Norwegian dulcimer) and accordion.

Karen Rognsvoog - Minnetonka, MN
Karen has been dyeing yarns for knitting, spinning and weaving projects since the mid-1970s and has taught natural plant dyeing classes in schools and community centers since then.  Her other talents include watercolor, Japanese ink painting, and the piano, and she is an amateur cellist.  She's always on the look-out for new and interesting dyestuffs, so don’t follow her on the road too closely.  She notes, "I brake for roadside weeds."

Ann Russ - Tofte, MN
Ann has been a resident of Cook County since the 1980s.  She has led numerous naturalist activities in all seasons and considers annual bird migrations one of life's joys. Her passion for birding and learning outdoors spills over into her fifth grade classroom, where she introduces the next generation to the joys of birding. She is the recipient of the 2007 Innovative Economic Educator Award for her lesson using "Flute's Journey: the Life of a Wood Thrush."

Jim Sannerud - St. Paul, MN
Jim Sannerud has been working with wood since he took 4-H classes at the age of nine.  That experience inspired him to go on to owning his own woodworking business and teaching others the beauty of hand-made woodenware.  The American Association of Woodturners recruited Jim to begin a pilot program in Ukraine teaching woodturning to children in orphanages.  He has taught private and small group classes for the last three years and hosts the Minnesota Woodturner Association hands-on sessions in his studio in downtown St. Paul.

Mike Schelmeske - Grand Marais, MN
Mike's interest in Native American and  Scandinavian traditions has kept him constantly pursuing  boreal forest crafts and materials for project ideas.  He finds utility craft particularily intriguing, and the thought of putting his crafts to work on an everyday level keeps him searching for the next project.  Whether its carving toys for his daughter Aurora, or shaping canoe paddles from a crooked knife he fashioned from an old file, Mike's ingenuity and approach to craft is refreshing.

Mary Schliep - Grand Marais, MN
Mary started rosemaling in 1989 and has been busily painting ever since.  Mary specializes in the Valdres and Telemark styles (each defined by the geographic region where they found their beginning in Scandinavia). Since the school's founding, Mary has been a consistent teacher at North House.   She demonstrates annually at Hostfest in Minot, North Dakota.

Larry Schmitt - Madison, WI
As a child, Larry learned many textile techniques from his parents including nålbinding. Since the early 1980s, he has been teaching and researching nålbinding and has written a number of instructional manuals. These workbooks are some of the only resources on nålbinding in English. Larry has taught and exhibited nålbinding throughout the country and has even had students from Norway and Germany, but he considers North House home base. His classes at North House reflect his continuing interest in traditional textile crafts.

Randy Schnobrich - Grand Marais, MN
Randy moved to the North Shore from Wisconsin in 1994 with plans to raise a family and create a new lifestyle.  After buying some land "back in the woods a bit," he and his wife built a woodshop and log home, a perfect spot to raise three kids and live a little closer to the earth.  With more than 20 years of woodworking under his belt, Randy has built everything from cabins to dogsleds, commissioned furniture to custom doors.  Nearly all of his interests lie in the outdoors, and he says it’s hard to remember life before Cook County.

Molly Sharp - Flat Rock, NC
Molly first studied her craft in England over 30 years ago.  After living in England for 10 years she moved back to the U.S. in 1981 and perfected her skills through various workshops with some of this country’s finest jewelers.  She has been a full-time professional jeweler since 1995.  Molly is the mother of two grown children and resides in western North Carolina with her husband, potter David Voorhees.  They own and operate Hand in Hand Gallery in Flat Rock, NC.  Molly also has work in numerous galleries throughout the U.S. and is a member of the prestigious Southern Highland Craft Guild in Asheville, NC.  Visit www.handinhandgallery.com

Brian Sherburne - Hovland, MN
As a lifelong visitor to the North, Brian’s yearning for the North Shore and the woods beyond helped him make the decision to relocate from the Twin Cities in the spring of 1994.  Working in marketing for his first eight years on the shore, Brian pushed himself away from his desk to pursue a love of working and creating with his hands.  As a self-employed carpenter and woodworker Brian’s experience ranges from simple carpentry to custom cabinetry.  Moose Valley in Hovland, Minnesota, trans-Atlantic sailing and dog mushing are other parts of his story.  A student at North House during its earliest years, Brian’s skills working with people and his passion for learning brought him full circle back to North House.

Erik Simula - Hovland, MN
Erik is a master birch bark canoe builder and national park ranger at Grand Portage National Monument.  Inspired by Finnish, Saami, and Anishinabe art and culture, Erik skis or hikes to his cedar sauna-home in the woods.  Hunting, trapping, fishing, harvesting wild rice, netting fish, and hauling ice and firewood by dog team contribute to Erik's subsistence lifestyle.  A former outdoor skills instructor for Voyageur Outward Bound and Vermillion College in Ely, Minnesota, Erik's many skills include being a logsmith, dogsled builder, snowshoe-maker, and wilderness guide.

Gigi Stafne - Long Lake - New Auburn, WI
Gigi is an enthusiastic leader within the natural and botanical medicine fields as the director of The Center For Healing Arts Herb & Eco School for 14 years.  She is also coordinator of a 40-acre botanical sanctuary in northern Wisconsin which is part of “United Plant Savers” & “Partners in Education” networks in the US and Canada.  She teaches and writes in realms of natural medicine, ecology, sustainability, and environmental health.  Gigi now operates "Adventure Botanica" and MI ZI ZAK  KAYAKS, which offers cross cultural/ ethnobotany trips regionally and internationally in places such as Mexico and Cuba. Gigi invites you to join her session with an open mind and heart.

Jon Strom - Cook, MN
Look for the woodchips flying and you're sure to find Jon.  Jon is a sculptor, woodworker, and log builder with a strong interest in Swedish spoon and bowl carving techniques as well as the history of log building.  He has demonstrated at Grand Portage National Monument, Old Fort William, White Oak Society, and has taught at various workshops including "Goods from the Woods" in Grand Rapids.  Jon has also designed his own personal bowl-carving bench which may be adapted by students for their own workshops.  To learn more visit  www.stromart.com.

Dan Strootman - Sunburg, MN
Dan has paddled canoes all his life and participated in the first canoe building course ever offered at North House.  His talent as a canoe builder and restoration specialist has quickly grown -- an inspiring example of what happens to you when your hobby becomes a way of life.  Dan (a.k.a. the tree man) and his wife Ann run Dann Craft, a traditional craft focused business.  In fall all boat building temporarily ceases as the call of the outdoors requires his undivided attention.

Del Stubbs - Leonard, MN
Del started his life as a craftsman in the early 1970s in an apprenticeship with a skillful old wood turner in Oregon.  These skills happily consumed his next 18 years and eventually had him teaching in many countries.  In the early 1990s Del spent two years doing traditional log building in Wisconsin and spent a life-changing winter in northern Sweden training with spoon carver Ville Sundqvist. This led to his current occupation, Scandinavian knife making. Del encountered fan birds in Sweden and Russia in the early 1990s -- it took a number of years to teach himself and refine this wonderful craft.  Visit  www.pinewoodforge.com

Paula Sundet - Grand Marais, MN
Paula has been gathering grasses and brush to make traditional crafts for the past 20 years.  A resident of northern Minnesota, Paula has a deep appreciation for the Northwoods and its resources and likes to convey that appreciation through her basket weaving and twig furniture. Paula recently completed her MA in anthropology which focused on Native American cedar as well as bulrush basket and mat weaving.  She shows and sells her work at the Johnson Heritage Post and area art stores.

Weslie Surprenant - Hovland, MN
Weslie (aka Chicken Mama) and her husband Tom live on an aspiring, self-sufficient homestead powered by solar panels just a 'holler’s distance' from the Canadian border.  Chicken Mama designed the timber frame home that is her and her husband’s sanctuary, far from the hustle and bustle of "Normal Life."  Whether she’s working on her own line of photographic notecards, Chicken Mama Originals; writing invoices for her husband’s business, Trapper Cabin Handyman Services; nannying for friends; volunteering at North House; keeping their many websites up-to-date; making batch after batch of homemade cottage cheese or yogurt; working on finishing their home; or tending to the chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, you can rest assured that this self-described modern day housewife is incredibly content with her crazy life.

Elma Thiele - Cook, MN
A curriculum developer by profession, Elma uses varied learning styles with her students.  Currently developing programs for the Forest History Center in Grand Rapids, Elma has worked with National Park Service and Michigan Department of Education among others.  Sewing all her life, Elma learned, in the Michigan State University costume shop, how to take a designer’s drawing and create a costume to fit an individual.  A Finnish heritage, a passion for sharing her knowledge of nature, and music are just a few extras Elma brings to her students.   To learn more visit  www.stromart.com.

Pat Thomas - Duluth, MN
Pat is a wildlife garden educator and photographer. She and her husband share their yard with many creatures and their gardens are certified by the National Wildlife Federation and the Monarch Waystation Programs. Pat served as a Master Gardener for over 10 years and founded the first chapter of the North American Butterfly Association in Minnesota.  She believes a garden comes to life with butterflies!

Gene Tokheim - Dawson, MN
Gene has been teaching since the 1980s in the United States and Norway.  His work has been exhibited in shows at the University of Minnesota, the Folk Art Museum in New York City, and the Hedmark Museum in Hammer, Norway.  Gene has won the Gold Medal in knife making in the national competition at the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa.  Gene graduated with an arts degree from Southwest Minnesota State University.

Jeff Trapp - Madison, WI
Jeff makes Windsor chairs, period furniture, wood canoes, and boats in his shop in Madison. His woodworking philosophy is to try the old ways first, and only if they don’t work to look for new-fangled ideas.  These luddite ideas extend to his hobbies and other passions which include airhead BMW motorcycles, telemark skiing, and single-speed mountain biking. He'll also get back to fly fishing when the yuppies move on. See his work at www.JeffTrappWindsors.com

Nick Vavrichek - Grand Marais, MN
Nick grew up on a southern Minnesota farm and he fell in love with Lake Superior and the north woods the first time he visited the area.  After many visits and paddling experiences he moved to Grand Marais and bought land with NHFS instructor Kent Jones.  They lived in a yurt for three years and built a timberframe cordwood masonry home together.  Nick is active in a community drumming group, kayaking, canoeing, community radio, and the Good Harbor Hill Players.  He dreams of bigger, better gardens and far-flung travels.

David Voorhees - Flat Rock, NC
David began clay working in the 1970s while studying painting.  Both his parents were professional painters, and he found his own medium while still carrying on the family tradition.  David has produced utilitarian stoneware and porcelain through the years and only recently has delved into more primitive techniques after making a trip to Africa.  One visit to Grand Marais convinced him to return soon.  He and his wife, jeweler Molly Sharp, own Hand in Hand Gallery.  See www.handinhandgallery.com  to view examples of his work.

Scott Williams - 7040 Trondheim, Norway
Ever since he was young Scott has had an interest in knives and knife making.  His passion for Scandinavian knives and handicraft expanded when he was at Luther College in Decorah. Since leaving Luther opportunities emerged to focus his energy on Finnish and Saami knives, including a year apprenticing with Finnish master knifesmith, Markku Vilpolla of Oulu, Finland.  Scott lectures on Finnish knife making and Saami handicrafts and conducts workshops in Vermont.  No matter the venue he seeks to share his passion for knives and help demonstrate the old Finnish saying that “One smith is worth ten priests…”

Teresa Wolfe - Houlton, WI
Teresa W. Wolfe, founder and owner of Welcome Harvest Herbs and Products, is an herbalist with an MS in food, science, and nutrition, and over 25 years experience in environmental education, biological sciences, nutrition, and herbs.  Teresa's credits include international presentations, contributions to the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN-based magazine Twin Cities WELLNESS, and features on the television shows ‘Venture North’ out of Duluth, and ‘Minnesota Bound’ out of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Jo Wood - Duluth, MN
An award winning bead and fiber artist, Jo Wood has practiced her skills with needle and thread for over 40 years and has shared her knowledge with students both regionally and nationally since 1997.  Her bead paintings are a celebration of place.  They capture rich colors, textures, and patterns of the northern forest - www.jowoodbeads.com

Jeanne Wright - Grand Marais, MN
Jeanne enjoys paddling in the Arctic, cross-country skiing, and organic gardening. Canoe trips into Canada’s barrenlands and discovering its traditional cultures have reinforced her commitment to sustainable living.  Soap making and designing mosaics are just a couple ways she keeps herself busy.  Other interests include bee keeping, bird watching and swimming in the Big Lake.

Nick Wroblewski - Madison, WI
Nick is a Midwest based printmaker specializing in hand cut wood block prints. He studied art at Bennington College in Vermont and later taught himself the technique of relief printmaking. Nick was a working member of Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis for three years and now has established a print shop in Madison, Wisconsin. Nick’s work is usually derived from the natural world with themes about animal communication, migration, and survival. He has been busy creating new images with woodblocks since 1996.  Visit Nick’s web site at www.nickwroblewski.com.

Rick Yonker - White Bear Lake, MN
Rick has been tinkering with wood for many years. He has also been bow hunting and doing recreational archery since 1980, and in 1995 he began learning the craft of building traditional longbows.  He has taken several classes and taught many others how to build their own wooden bows.  Rick managed his own bow building business called Kickapoo Valley Longbows.  Now a high school teacher, Rick lives in White Bear Lake with his lovely wife Sue, three beautiful daughters and his cat, Honey.

John Zasada - Grand Rapids, MN
The biology, ecology, use, and management of birch in northern forests has been a favorite topic of John's for many years.  John is a recently retired silviculturist with the U.S. Forest Service in Grand Rapids.  Give John a pile of birch bark and things are sure to happen. His generosity sharing birch-syrup candy/treats make his visits to North House sweet for everyone on campus.



STAFF

Kay Costello - Grand Marais, MN
Office Manager/Registrar
Wild blueberries, red maples and Lake Superior are three reasons Kay lives in Grand Marais. Besides registering students, crunching numbers and entertaining and being entertained by the characters that stream through North House’s front office, Kay enjoys canoeing, hiking, swimming and trading her computer keys at work for her piano keys at home.

Kelly Dupre - Grand Marais, MN
Classroom/Volunteer Coordinator
A former teacher turned artist and author, Kelly has been watching and cheering on North House since its very beginnings.  When the part-time classroom and volunteer coordinator position came into being, she couldn’t resist jumping in on all the fun!  When not at North House, you will find her making art (mostly block prints), writing, and hanging out in the woods.  To learn more about Kelly's artwork visit www.kellydupre.com.

Gail Hedstrom - Grand Marais, MN
School Store Manager
Not quite a native of Grand Marais, Gail has lived in the area for 30 years.  Gail is originally from Duluth, Minnesota, where she earned a degree in Art Education.  She is best known as the owner of “Babes in the Woods,” an art-to-wear business that evolved into an art business with unique, one of a kind pieces in many mediums.  When not working at North House, Gail pursues her art work, exhibits and sells locally and regionally.  She feels profoundly lucky to be a member of the Grand Marais community and all the splendor it has to offer.

Scott Pollock - Grand Marais, MN
Program Director/Communications Manager
Scott began his career in traditional craft programming by working with subsistence users and basket makers across interior Alaska.  Born and raised on the other side of the lake, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, he returned 'home' to work as the curator for the North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum.  Six years, two small children, a wonderful sweetheart and 135 instructors later, Scott enjoys his positions in and outside the classroom, carving out a playful existence on the North Shore.

Kathleen Viton - Grand Marais, MN
Office Assistant
Kathleen feels at "at home" when she is outdoors. She has spent 23 years sharing that passion with others in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Co-directing a wilderness camp with her husband Russ was the perfect place to introduce thousands to this unique ecosystem.  Backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, skiing, and dogsledding were just a few of the ways they encouraged others to fall in love with this little corner of the planet. Kathleen notes she was naturally drawn to the North House Folk School because of its mission of learning in a supportive community.

Russ Viton - Grand Marais, MN
Facility Manager
Russ feels "at home" when he is outdoors.  He has spent 20+ years sharing that passion with others in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.  Co-directing a wilderness camp with his wife Kathleen was the perfect place to introduce thousands to this unique ecosystem.  Backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, skiing and dogsledding were just a few of the ways they encouraged other to fall in love with this little corner of the planet.

Greg Wright - Grand Marais, MN
Executive Director
Chasing horizons in the North has been a pre-occupation of Greg’s for many years.  An avid wilderness traveler by water, ski and foot, his journeys have ranged across much of northern North America.  Exploring the traditional waterways of the Canadian Shield in wood-canvas canoes.  Encountering elemental landscapes and echoes of arctic cultures while paddling arctic rivers in the Barren Lands.  Engaging the North’s defining season of white on skis and snowshoes at every opportunity.  Greg became North House’s executive director in 2001, bringing with him numerous years of experience in his craft, educational and nonprofit leadership.  Greg, his wife Jeanne, and their daughter Olya live on their homestead with organic gardens, bee hives, a wood-fired timbered sauna and a view of the northern horizon.