Whitfield Museum hosts free event celebrating woodworking

All ages are invited to immerse themselves in a free program exploring the trade of woodworking with hand tools. The event will be held 10:00-4:00 on Sunday, June 22, 2025 at the Henry Whitfield State Museum.

TradesUp will offer a STEAM-based learning experience with hands-on activities for participants to gain experience in skills such as basic math, measuring, and hand-eye coordination while developing a sense of confidence and self-sufficiency. TradesUp is a non-profit organization that provides opportunities to try the trades and experience the joy of hands-on creating, making, and problem-solving.

Andrew Rowand, museum curator at the Eric Sloane Museum in Kent, Connecticut, will offer participants the chance to work with antique woodworking hand tools. Eric Sloane, renowned Connecticut artist and author, amassed a large collection of early American hand tools that are now on display at the Eric Sloane Museum as a tribute to American artisanship.

Rick Liegl and Lara Miller will demonstrate decorative woodcarving unique to 1600s and 1700s New England using traditional patterns like those found on period furniture on exhibit in the Whitfield House. Rick, a woodworker for many years, has spent the last year teaching Lara this historical woodcarving and joinery in an apprenticeship funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History, the Connecticut Cultural Fund, and the Connecticut Office of the Arts (DECD).

Trades Day will take place rain or shine. Admission to the Whitfield House and Visitor Center exhibit galleries is also free. For more information, call 203-453-2457, e-mail whitfieldmuseum@ct.gov, or visit the museum website.