Mission
Empowering women and marginalized genders through the art of woodcraft.
Our Values
Community and Belonging
At the heart of Fireweed is a spirit of community and belonging. Fireweed is a space where kindness, generosity, and creativity pollinate friendships and new ideas. Whether you're sharing your skills, exploring a new hobby, or simply soaking in the atmosphere, there’s always an opportunity to connect at your own pace. We are a strong community of students, teachers, members, and staff, brought together by shared purpose. This is a place where inspiring people come together to make, learn, and grow. For many, Fireweed has been a source of both friendship and a deep sense of belonging, a community that values the whole person: spirit, craft, and expression.
Nurturing Woodcraft
Fireweed is a nurturing and open-minded learning community where people of all skill levels feel supported and inspired. Through intentional programming and a thoughtfully curated mix of classes, including furniture building, craft and handy person skills, learners are encouraged to explore, experiment, and grow. Our instructors are patient, friendly, and non-judgmental, meeting each student where they are and working collaboratively to find solutions. Our approach to teaching fosters a deeply supportive space where curiosity is welcomed and confidence can bloom.
Practicing Better Futures
At Fireweed, we are deeply committed to practicing better futures by actively participating in and leading the shift toward a social structure that prioritizes justice, equity, and accessibility. By playing with form and embracing the limitless potential of our community members, we create spaces where adaptability thrives, and new, transformative ideas are born. Our programs, such as BIPOC classes and sliding-scale pricing ensures economic and social access for those with non-dominant identities. We are practicing a better future through embodiment, offering creative processes that challenge existing norms and inspire new ways of thinking. In doing so, we maintain a steadfast commitment to accessibility, ensuring that women, nonbinary folks, and marginalized communities have the resources to lead, participate, and transform our collective future.
About Us
Founded in 2017 by Jess Hirsch, Fireweed Community Woodshop empowers women and marginalized genders through the art of woodcraft. We seek to shift expectations of what a woodworker looks like through our staff, instructors, and board, and to create role models for people historically excluded from the woodshop . Our classes fall into three categories: craft, furniture, and handy person. Craft covers more traditional skills like basket weaving and broom making. Our furniture classes focus on fine woodworking and include classes on joinery and cabinetry. Handy person offerings are geared toward gaining confidence in home improvement and carpentry skills including classes in tiling, framing, and an introduction to power tools. | Classes range from half-day workshops to multi-session courses over several days. Most are offered at an introductory level with a mix of intermediate and advanced offerings. Equity-based pricing and programming are core to our approach. We offer discounted BIPOC-centered classes and sponsored BIPOC seats where students pay a reduced fee and the materials cost. We offer sliding-scale, pay-what-you-can-classes and financial access. Our goal is to get tools into the hands of people historically excluded from the art of woodworking. Fireweed Community Woodshop is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. |
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| EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY Fireweed Community Woodshop provides a space for students to learn at their own pace with supportive instructors and staff. Our instructors are sensitive to the needs of each student, and strive to support different learning styles and entry points into craft without expectations or assumptions. We believe that vulnerability is an asset to learning. We create a space where students are free to ask questions, to explore, and to share their personal experience. Our inclusive, non-competitive, and exploration-centered approach fosters community and individual growth. Fireweed believes that woodworking education should be as accessible as possible. We offer financial access for students to help lower some of the financial barriers to accessing courses. |
Fireweed Community Woodshop 14 SE 27th Ave Minneapolis, MN 55414 Fireweedwoodshop@gmail.com |
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