Center for People and Craft

The Center for People and Craft is an emerging urban folk school in Minneapolis, MN. Supported by the Arts & Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Minneapolis, the Center celebrates the rich cultural diversity of our city and the many traditions that thrive in this particular place on earth—from craft, ritual, and music to dance, storytelling, and foraging. 

Located adjacent to Loring Park in the education building of St. Mark's Cathedral, the Center will expand access to traditional crafts and their contemporary expressions, foster connection to place and community, and nurture intergenerational learning. 

Our vision is inspired by the historic Danish folk school model–which served as a talisman against fascism in the mid 1800s–reimagined for our urban, multicultural setting. Through hands-on workshops and community events, we will bring together artisans, culture bearers, and neighbors to honor heritage and place, spark creativity, and strengthen cross-cultural connections.

The Center for People and Craft is the recipient of a 2025 Vibrant Storefronts award from the City of Minneapolis’ Arts and Cultural Affairs Department. This $100,000 in funding covers the majority of our facility costs for two years. We have a home!

Who are we?

We are a team of volunteers, including handcraft instructors, community leaders, cultural organizations, artists, and neighbors. 

Our founding brings decades of collective expertise in community-based education, traditional craft, nonprofit leadership, and public space activation. Together, we have launched national nonprofits, led major public art projects, and taught at leading folk schools and cultural institutions:

Anna Lindall is an educator, cultural organizer, and teaching artist with 20+ years of experience; as founder of Free Forest School, she scaled a grassroots idea into a national nonprofit serving over 70,000 families, and she teaches Scandinavian handcraft for youth and adults. Liesl Chatman is a nationally recognized folk artist and organizational strategist, known for reviving the Nordic art of kolrosing and for her leadership at the Science Museum of Minnesota’s IDEAL Center, where she oversaw multimillion-dollar equity-focused initiatives. Liesl and Anna both serve on the Instructor Advisory Council at North House Folk School and lead workshops in teaching methodology. 

Donate to Help Us Launch! 

Thanks to 20 generous donors, we've nearly met our first fundraising goal of $6300! This amount ensures we can pay the basic bills through the end of 2025 while we continue to ramp up--including the remainder of our rent plus insurance, some basic furniture, signage to help people find our tucked-away door, and basic supplies.

The last hurdle before we can dive into offering juicy programming like workshops in Somali finger weaving, Scandinavian kulning, or birch bark basketry, we need to hire our first coordinator to get things rolling (create a registration system! recruit instructors and develop classes!)--and acquire some basic tools and classroom furniture.  

First Goal ($6300) Fundraising Breakdown:

• Rent deficit $2500
• Insurance: $300 
• Tables & Chairs: $1500
• Paint: $1000
• Signage: $500
• Office supplies: $200
• Website fees: $300

Second Goal ($8700) Fundraising Breakdown:

• Startup Coordinator, 12 weeks x 15 hours per week x $25 / hour = $4500
• Worktables (raw materials): $2600 (Students will build these through a service learning class in winter 2026)
• Tools including carving knives, sharpening stones, fabric scissors, hand saws: $1600

Fall Events:

• October 25 1-4PM OPEN HOUSE ~ Come say hi and see our space! Stay for a cup of tea, snacks, and conversation; bring a handwork project and stay a while.
• November 15  5-8PM SKILLSHARE & POTLUCK ~ Our Fall event invites community members to share a craft or skill, or just bring your curiosity. Watch for more details and signup information at peopleandcraft.org.
• December 14 4-7PM LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS ~ Join us to make lanterns then process through the darkness to the Cathedral, where we'll raise our voices in song, led by Sarina Partridge. No singing experience needed to enjoy this gathering.

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