Curtis Fontaine grew up in Exeter NH and began learning ceramics from Ron Burke, Chris Archer and Sarah Burns. He continued his passion for clay at Skidmore College, managing their ceramics studio for two years and studying under Regis Brodie and Leslie Ferst. After school he moved on to an apprenticeship under Toshiko Takaezu. Living and working with her he learned the philosophies and practices of a natural artist. By the time he was finished with the apprenticeship he set out to strengthen his ties with nature. First he worked at Saratoga Apple for Christine and Nate Darrow and Joseph Garricks. Then on Masala Farm as an animal caretaker for Survir Saran and Charlie Burd, where he took care of alpacas, sheep, goats, ducks, chickens, geese and more. In 2019 his work was selected by Todd Merrill to be carried in his gallery in NYC, South Hampton and around the country. Curtis tries to continue Toshiko’s practices by balancing his time between ceramics, nature and cooking.

Manny Hutter is a Builder, Designer, and Teacher originally from Newton, Massachusetts. He gained his skill in carpentry through the vocational program at Newton North High School in Newton, MA, along with working for multiple carpentry companies. Junior year of high school Manny founded Herculean Woodworks. His projects include Pergolas, Sheds, Garden Beds, Portable Torah Arks, Furniture, and most notably a Traveling Holiday Lantern, featured in the Boston Globe. In his senior year, he was awarded Career Vocational Technical Education Student of The Year along with the Golden Hammer Award for his excellence and leadership in his field. Since graduating Manny has relocated to Shelburne and has immersed himself in the community. Manny’s current project as of Fall of 2022 is a 54’ x 36’ Monitor Barn Workshop for himself and his family. Manny is excited to be continuing working at the Shelburne Craft School in the Woodshop.

Fred is a resident painter as well as craftsperson in multiple fields. He finds beauty in many mediums and is particularly excited to work in wood. Part of Fred's inspiration for teaching woodworking at SCS came from teaching wood working at Camp Treetops in Lake Placid. As someone who spent most of his adult life in the classroom teaching high schoolers history, Fred found returning to teaching in the shop a very rewarding experience. Fred, a lifelong learner, has taken many classes at Shelburne Craft School, most involving oil painting, and thoroughly appreciates the opportunity they provided to learn and to create.

A native Vermonter, Emily was raised in a log cabin nestled into the rolling hills of the Worcester mountain range. She spent much of her childhood exploring the countryside on horseback and swimming in the frigid mountain rivers. Growing up in a family of artists and craftsman, she developed a hunger for creativity, and a passion for creating things with her hands. Emily has experience working in many different mediums, ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, mosaics and glass fusing to name a few, but her true passion remains deeply rooted in stained glass. Emily learned the art of stained glass through an independent study in high school, mentored by Chris Jeffrey, a renowned stained glass artist based in central Vermont. Emily attributes much of her success as an artist and personal growth to the close friendship that she and Chris have maintained in the years following her study. Since opening her private studio, Emily has gone on to instruct kindergarten through high school students as well as adults, finding great happiness providing a positive learning environment in which to share her love of stained glass.

I started turning wood in 2008, and my collection of hand-planes has been largely neglected ever since. As much as I love experiencing that rush of discovery when cutting into a log destined for a local woodstove’s battle against the Vermont cold and seeing what grain patterns are hiding inside, or peeling away the excess wood at the lathe to reveal a beautiful form, I also enjoy seeing it in the faces of others as they remove their first completed bowl from the lathe. In my own pieces I especially like working with spalted woods - the patterns and colors that develop naturally as the wood begins to decay are well worth the added challenges the material presents.

Passionate woodturner looking to share his craft, Jake started turning in 2015 Member woodchuck turners of Northern Vermont

Mike first started woodworking at age ten with the help of a mentor. During high school, he worked as a wooden boat-building apprentice at Arey's Pond Boat Yard on Cape Cod. Being from Vermont, it was natural for him to attend the Vermont Woodworking School. He now holds a degree in Fine Woodworking and Furniture Design. Mike first starting sharing his woodworking skills in the summer of 2017 at Cape Cod Sea Camps and spent two summers as the Woodworking Department Head. It was there, on The Cape, that he found his love of passing on this craft. Returning to Vermont, he started as a kids woodworking teacher in the early winter of 2020 at SCS and has taught kids and adults classes since then. Mike is the renter monitor on Tuesday nights and is responsible for woodshop maintenance. His certifications include: American Red Cross Adult/Pediatric First Aid and CPR. When away from SCS, Mike can be found enjoying and gathering inspiration from the mountains of New England.

I'm a native Vermonter, now living in Chittenden County. I graduated from Montserrat College of Art with a Bachelor's Degree in Painting/Fine Arts, in 2003. In my formal artistic education, I focused primarily on classical painting, life drawing and art history. However, after a decade-long hiatus from painting, I've gravitated more toward landscape painting; finding interest in the methods of the American Tonalist painters, such as George Inness, and James McNeil Whistler.

I have been woodturning since 2007. I produce salad bowls, decorative art, and architectural components. I sell my work through my website as well as craft galleries. I was the president of the Woodchuck Woodturners of Northern Vermont for four years, a non-profit club for woodturning enthusiasts. I enjoy teaching the craft to others and seeing the smile on their face when they carve a chunk of tree into something useful.

I have been excited about wood since I started exploring wood as a teen in California and in the Alaska wilderness, carving bowls and small expressive pieces. In my 20s I started teaching woodcraft in northern Vermont to adults and to children in a rural public elementary school. At that time I was moved to write about woodcraft as a vehicle for children in developing their creativity and self-empowerment. Later I designed and built several saunas, a sailing dory and started sculpting furniture pieces including driftwood lamps, mirrors and chairs. Recently I've been bringing my spoon and ladle carving workshop in a small caravan style studio wagon I built, out into the community. I have taught these workshops in the Alaskan wilderness, at Snowfarm Craft- Art School and will be teaching at the Carving Studio this spring in Rutland.

Jen berger works as an interdisciplinary, community and socially engaged artist and educator. Using street, stage and guerilla theater, visual arts, painting, printmaking, puppetry, video for education and dialogue she seeks to raise awareness and intervene in social issues that affect us all. ​ Jen is also works as a teaching artist, working with students in, and out, of the public schools, who are in early childhood through adult aged students.

Chris Ramos immersed himself in furniture making as an early student of the Vermont Woodworking School, studying under the prolific Bob Fletcher and other prominent Vermont craftspeople. Now working out of the Shelburne Craft School, Chris and his partner, Ryan Cocina design and build custom residential and commercial furnishings under the brand, Seral Designs. He returns regularly to VWS to teach introductory woodworking and is a resident instructor at the Shelburne Craft School. Chris is honored to share his method through community education, and his vision through his labor. SeralDesigns.com