North House Folk School

Derek Brabender found his passion for green woodworking after carving his first spoon in 2014. What began as a fascination with spoon carving quickly grew into a broader exploration of crafting household treen. After taking his first turning course with Jarrod Dahl in 2017, pole lathe turning became the primary focus of Derek’s green woodworking practice. In 2024, Derek received an Artist Fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation to study advanced turning techniques and pole lathe pedagogy with Jarrod, explore the historical context of the pole lathe in Nordic countries, and build a set of lathes to increase public awareness and engagement with this craft and its importance to Scandinavian folk art.

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