5 Sliding Scale Slots Available (Full CMT Student Class)
Applications Close: June 18 (Apply below)
Notification of Award: July 1
Teachers: Brandy Clements and Dave Klingler
Assistant: TBA
Chair Weaving Intensive and Materials Study will cover 5 basic styles of weaving: rush, splint, shaker tape, machine woven caning and hand-woven caning. These styles can be easily adapted to new designs for chair makers, or easily accessible to novice weavers. Those interested in exploring more advanced patterns and materials will have the opportunity to do so. Some hard to find materials will be introduced but due to supply issues will be a group exploration/demonstration. Small footstools and weaving kits are available for moving beyond chair projects. A presentation on the history of chair weaving and business skills will also be covered. We encourage all participants to explore chair weaving for people in their community to further their skills and experience the variation in chair frame shape/construction elements and the ever present "oddball" chairs that inevitably pop up once you scratch the surface of the traditional craft. After the class, students are welcome to check in with us by sending photos of their projects and getting advice on technique, pricing, or other elements of the practice. Each student will recieve a copy of our seatweaving book, The Woven Chair.
Sliding Scale:
This class is being offered at a special sliding scale rate for CMT. Please note: this is not a free class.
*Students are also responsible for travel and housing and chair frames (thrifted, borrowed, or bought)
In the interest of expanding our offerings and creating more opportunities for makers in the field, CMT is partnering with the Silver River Center for Chair Caning to offer their two-week bootcamp on a sliding scale.
Brandy and Dave credit much of their careers, and especially the rebuilding of their business after a flood, to the generosity of the chair/craft community. They are looking to pay it forward despite rising costs, tariffs, and expensive overhead costs. There is high demand for chair seat restorations - they often say, “You can be as busy as you want to be - there is no shortage of chairs to weave or people looking to restore their heirloom chairs. It’s a great way to earn money working from home - there are minimal tools and equipment.”
To help make this class as accessible as possible, we are offering it through a sliding scale model. Students may choose any amount $500 and above, and we’ve provided a few reference points below to help guide your decision.
Sliding scale works best when it’s rooted in honesty, respect for complexity of business costs, and shared accountability. Healthy communities grow when we trust one another to participate thoughtfully and with care. Teachers deserve to be paid for their knowledge and labor, and students deserve access to learning that acknowledges the wide range of financial realities people live within.
Taking a moment to consider your own financial position when choosing where you fall on the scale helps sustain both the teaching and the learning that make communities like this possible. If you are struggling with this concept we would be happy to have a conversation. https://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog/sliding-scale also offers fantastic visuals and context on how to interact with sliding scale.
Minimum — $500 - Covers materials and basic overhead for the class.
Middle — $1000 - Covers materials, overhead, and contributes to the instructor’s time/instruction.
Full Price — $1500 - Reflects the full value of the class and instruction.
Beyond — Any amount above $1500 Helps support students who may not be able to reach the full price. It’s a generous way to pay it forward to the CMT community you’re becoming part of, while also supporting the instructors in making this offering possible.
*Note: Your choice of contribution will not affect your eligibility to participate in the class.
Who should apply: All applicants must identify as historically excluded or under-represented in the field of woodworking.
Type of Class: CMT Full Affinity Class. To learn more read the CMT Class FAQ.
Note we have moved to SlideRoom for all applications. This migration gives us greater reliability and security in our application process, and allows CMT to continue growing. In order to keep our programming accessibility, we have decided to pay the $3 submission fee by default across all submissions. If you are financially able to cover this cost, we would be grateful for a donation through our website. Please know that your ability or inability to contribute will in no way affect your application.