the vision
a folk school in minneapolis
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.
upcoming events
open house
Saturday, October 25 ~ 1 - 4 pm
Come say hi and check out our new space! Feel free to bring a handwork project—stay for live music, tea, crafting and socializing.
skill share & potluck
Saturday, November 15th ~ 5 - 8 pm
Our Fall event invites community members to share a craft or skill. Watch for more details and signup information.
light in the darkness
December 14th ~ 4-7 pm
Join us for an all-ages lantern-making workshop from 4-5:45, then process through the darkness to St. Mark’s Cathedral for community singing with Sarina Partridge.
we’re building this thing together.
From cleanup, construction, and painting the space, to hosting events and writing grants, folk schools are built by passionate volunteers and supporters. Whatever your skill set, free time, or interest, please get in touch!
learn more & help out
Use this form to sign up for our newsletter and let us know how you want to get involved.
donate to the folk school
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!
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.
We need your help to reach our new goal of $15,000. 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. Let’s do this!
finding us
We’re right in the middle of things, between the Walker Art Center, St. Mark’s Cathedral, and Loring Park…. but our door can be tricky to find the first time.
ACCESSIBLE MAIN ENTRANCE: If you’re traveling north on Lyndale from Uptown, the Walker is on your left. We’re directly across the street, on your right, in the low stone building to the right of St. Mark’s Cathedral and tucked behind a playground. Use the red-painted right turn lane and watch for a pull out to the right. Accessible parking is located in the small lot near the playground and along the driveway next to the Cathedral.
Our door is just beyond the playground. Ring the doorbell hanging on the side of the silver box.
ADDITIONAL PARKING FOR SPECIAL EVENTS - NOT ACCESSIBLE: Navigate to Los Peques Daycare at 519 Oak Grove St, This lot has parking available by donation to the Cathedral. Enter through the daycare door and walk up a flight of stairs to the Center for People & Craft.
BIKE OR TAKE THE BUS: The 4 and 6 bus routes go right past our door, as does a protected bike lane.