“I’m an amateur and always will be. That’s the way I want to die. I’m an amateur by nature. David Pye wrote somewhere that the best work of this century would certainly be done by amateurs.” - James Krenov
Our Impractical Cabinetmaker Program, reflects JK’s final thoughts on the craft and offers four intakes per year. The first ten weeks of the program, Impractical Studies, maybe taken a week at a time, or as a complete program. Students taking the program, a week at a time are encouraged to complete the one week sessions in the order in which they have been presented. Following completion of Impractical Studies, students may continue their craft education with us for up to three years.
In the first year of study, students will make a established case piece and a chair. Each of these pieces builds on skills covered in Impractical studies and explores increasingly complex methods. In the second year of study, students will compose and will create a fine cabinet using veneer construction and may include curves and or glass. In the third year of residency, students assist with the program in lieu of tuition. They will receive a daily consult with the resident craftsman and teacher as they pursue independent work in a supportive and creative environment.
We have made these changes in an effort to provide better alignment of our programs and provide our students with flexibility of spreading out their craft education over several months or years. Multiple intakes also provides our students with the opportunity of observing their classmates at different stages of the journey.
A few months back, I was on the bus to do a few errands. I noticed that everyone on the bus, young and old, were engaged with some sort of electronic device. Wait, there is hope, I thought, a young woman near the front of the bus was knitting. Upon a closer look I discovered she was only untangling her earphones. While personally I find the intrusion of social media in our society a distraction, I do recognize the need to share the work of our students and faculty. The Journal, will now be published four times a year prior to each of our intakes. If you would like more recent updates, your can now follow us on Facebook.
We are in the process of updating our website to reflect some of these changes. If you have any questions please contact the school on our toll free number 1.877.943.9663 or by e-mail yvonne@insidepassage.ca. Be well and enjoy your work.
Robert Van Norman Resident Craftsman amp; Teacher Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking