Fireweed's classes are brought to you by incredible instructors. From craft to construction, we love to bring the world of woodworking to the community through incredibly talented women and non-binary artists. This month we are featuring Gwen Comings, who has been teaching at Fireweed since 2021 and a board member volunteering time and talent to investing in this non-profit org. Here are a few words from Gwen!

"I teach bandsaw boxes, marquetry, and wall pocket classes at Fireweed. Before discovering my love of woodworking, I completed a BFA in painting and drawing at MCAD and an MFA in interdisciplinary studio art at UPenn. A couple of experiences at UPenn sparked my initial interest in woodworking. Between my first and second year of the program, I did an artist residency at Vermont Studio Center for the month of July. While I was there, another resident showed me how to make bandsaw boxes, and I was captivated by the intuitive technique. My dad was a carpenter when I was growing up, so I always equated woodworking with meticulous measuring and math, but making bandsaw boxes is much more forgiving. You start from a solid block of wood and make a series of cuts in such a way that the pieces fit back together no matter what! The other experience was taking a class in the Historic Preservation department called, “The American Domestic Interior.” I really loved learning about historic crafts and woodworking and visiting house museums to see the work in person. This led to my interest in marquetry, and I love introducing more people to this craft at Fireweed! These days I frequently bounce back and forth between fine art and wordworking. I like having multiple creative projects going at once in case I get stuck or burnt out  with one technique." 

Did you see Gwen's submission at the Great Minnesota Get Together! Aww, yeah, Blue Ribbon in Marquetry! You can also find Gwen's wood goods at Fireweed Pop Up Markets and other local sales and art fairs.