Jolynn is an artist, jeweler, and educator whose practice has grown over the past twelve years. She earned her BFA from Kent State University and her MFA in Metal from SUNY New Paltz, and worked as a bench jeweler in New York City before pursuing graduate school.

After completing her MFA, Jolynn expanded her studio work through an artist residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee and later taught in Baltimore at the Baltimore Jewelry Center, Towson University, and Montgomery College.

Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including selections for Schmuck 2023 in Munich, Germany; Melting Point Valencia in Valencia, Spain; and recently her first solo show, surroundings, at Brooklyn Metal Works in New York City. She has been featured in Metalsmith Magazine, Klimt.02, On Offer, and Autor Contemporary Jewelry Magazine, among others.

Jolynn teaches full-time out of her studio, offering jewelry, metalsmithing, and enameling classes in a space built for focused learning, exploration, and creative growth. She also teaches at the Shelburne Craft School and Champlain Valley Union High School to support local arts education and stay connected to the broader community.

Eric grew up in Vermont where he developed a life-long interest in natural history. After high school he spent several years working odd-jobs and traveling in Central and South America. In 2010 he enrolled at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington to study natural history and ornithology. At Evergreen Eric found his way to the wood shop where he explored arched instrument making and furniture making.

After years of going between field biology and woodworking he accepted a residency at the Arbutus Folk School in 2017, where he studied the techniques employed in Windsor chair making and adapted them to the tools and materials he had available. In 2019, he apprenticed with Curtis Buchanan, a Windsor chairmaker in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and accepted a residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.

Eric lives in Charlotte, Vermont where he makes Windsor and Ladderback chairs on commission. Eric has taught chairmaking and woodworking classes in his own shop and at education spaces across the country, including Arbutus Folk School, WA; Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, TN; Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, ME; John C. Campbell Folk School, NC; Penland School of Craft, NC; and Sanborn Mills Farm, NH.

Find out more about Eric, his work, and classes outside of Vermont Handworks at his website

While most classes are taught by Eric or Jolynn, the Vermont Handworks shop has hosted some wonderful guest instructors in recent years. Many of these instructors teach other places as well, so we’ve linked to their websites here. Keep an eye out for them on future Vermont Handworks class schedules.

Penny Hewitt - Black Ash and Birch Bark Basketry

Tall Grass Design - Dry Stone Walling

Will Nissen - Shrink Pots, Bowl Carving

Lorry Anne - Watercolor

Zakari Leblanc - Shrink Pots