KENT, Conn. — There’s a wealth of knowledge waiting to be learned and a world waiting to be explored at the Eric Sloane Museum.
“We want to provide a place to learn traditional crafts, trades, and skills as part of the museum’s programming because, for so many people, Sloane’s art and books were their first introduction to the trades and crafts,” said Andrew Rowand, who has been museum curator and site administrator since spring 2020.
Rowand said many visitors comment that they “wish they could use the tools from the collection because his work inspires them.”
The public will have that opportunity in the coming weeks and months when a variety of hands-on workshops will be offered. All workshops will offer unique insights into and experience with topics that aren’t necessarily the everyday topic.
Among the workshops will be broom-making, blacksmithing, wood spoon carving, and log hewing.
In addition, two workshops with TradesUp!, a nonprofit organization that offers opportunities to try the trades and experience hands-on creating, making, and problem-solving.
Rowand related the museum wants to offer the public a chance to use the tools of the past “while promoting and supporting skilled artisans and tradespeople willing to share their knowledge with a new generation.”
The workshops will kick off June 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when Alan Curboy will teach a hands-on broom workshop for individuals aged 16 and older. Participants will learn the basics of broom material selection and layout while using traditional tools and methods to create a hand-crafted finished product.
As a group, students will discuss the various aspects of the craft and go step by step, making both a whisk broom and cobweb style broom.
The fee is $75. Pre-registration is required here.
The following month, on July 19, a blacksmithing workshop will be taught by blacksmithing expert Ian McCarthy from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
McCarthy will discuss and demonstrate blacksmithing techniques and methods to explore how hand-forged metal objects are crafted. Participants will use traditional tools and methods to create a one-of-a-kind finished product.
The fee is $150. Pre-registration is required here.
Come August, Connecticut woodworker Rick Liegl will lead a wooden spoon carving workshop, which will explore the basics of timber selection and layout, and the tools and methods used to create a finished product.
Individuals aged 16 and older will discuss the various aspects of carving a spoon and carve one of their own from a log of locally-grown wood.
Students will be provided with hand and eye protection, and appropriate axes/tools for use during the Aug. 9 class that will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students will be required to wear closed toed shoes or boots and wear long pants that fully cover the leg.
The fee is $100. Pre-registration is required here.
Preservation carpenter Nevan Carling will teach a log hewing workshop Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to those interested in learning how hand-hewn beams are created.
Students will learn the basics of timber selection and beam layout while using traditional tools and methods to create a hand-hewn finished product.
The fee is $125. Pre-registration is required here here.
Two TradesUp youth workshops will also be offered this summer for youth aged 10-17. They will include Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM)-based learning in two fields – plumbing and electrical.
Students will gain experience using skills such as basic math, measuring, and hand and eye coordination while developing a sense of confidence and self-sufficiency in both workshops.
All students must be accompanied by an adult.
Both workshops will run from 10 a.m. to noon.
Registration for the plumbing workshop is available here, while registration for the Aug. 16 electrical workshop is here.
“We are so happy to partner with TradesUp in offering youth trades workshops,” Rowand said. “We hope to expand our offerings in the coming years.”
The curator related the joy of watching participants learn new skills and trades at the museum’s events.
“It’s the most rewarding aspect of working at the museum, seeing people get a chance to really connect with the content and make lasting memories while taking home useable skills,” he said.
Individuals of all ages participate in the workshops, which often bridges generations.
Other topics have been explored in past workshops. Among them, furniture restoration, block printing, Civil War-era photography.
Rowand said the museum plans to expand its offerings in the coming months, with the goal of having an event every weekend.
The museum is also exploring ways to “expand the museum campus to accommodate these opportunities.
He encouraged early registration for the workshops at the 31 Kent Cornwall Road museum because they fill up quickly.
“Whether it’s the crafts or the trades, the people that are doing the work are artists and as an art museum we love to acknowledge that just as Sloane did by helping create the museum in 1969,” the curator said.
For more information, call 860-927-2150.
