Imagine your dream workshop stocked with all your favorite gadgets and gizmos neatly packed into one gigantic toolbox. Now put that gigantic toolbox on wheels and give it a license plate to make it official. The Shelburne Craft School calls it the Building Arts Mobile Workshop.
Since inception, this versatile workshop has been supporting local artists and diving into the community through mobile classes and events. The Mobile Workshop is outfitted with everything needed for mobile woodworking classes, community volunteer design builds, and digital fabrication demos. The trailer is armed with everything from saws and drills to a 3D printer and laser engraver - all energized by a solar panel electrical system and power bank. It’s the perfect blend of traditional techniques and new school innovations.
Pictured above is the Building Arts Mobile Workshop in front of our store in Vergennes, Vermont.
This creative program has been a catalyst for new community initiatives while elevating the school's existing curriculum in craft, design, and fine arts. The Building Arts program at Shelburne Craft School provides real-world, hands-on education, focusing on high-quality craftsmanship through community-built projects.
Pictured below from left to right is Ryan Pierson, builder of the Mobile Workshop, Clair Gear, Shelburne Craft School Executive Director, and Scott Law, manager of the Shelburne, Vermont Aubuchon Hardware.
The Mobile Workshop is a natural progression for the Shelburne Craft School to continue offering hands-on education in artisanal crafts, helping individuals experience the joys of making, while cultivating confidence, character, and community - the educational pillars that the Shelburne Craft School has been standing for since 1945 at its Harbor Road location.
Once we heard of this extraordinary build, we had to get involved! We quickly became proud sponsors and passionate supporters of this nomadic contraption! Thank you to Ryan Pierson for the build, Rachel Averitt for the amazing photos, our fellow sponsors Stanley Black & Decker and Rice Lumber, and everyone else who played a role bringing this marvelous idea to life. We’re excited to watch this workshop roam around conquering projects of all shapes and sizes!