A School of Creativity
Wolf Craft is a place that fosters creativity, helping people practice traditional crafts. Independent art and craft schools around the world are unified by the goal of helping people learn methods of making, develop new skills and advance their mastery in specific areas and media. Art and Craft Schools go beyond academic curriculum by providing valuable education in skills and trades that might otherwise have faded from our modern culture.
Where We Embrace Craft & Skill
Wolf Craft is more than just a school for classic arts and crafts. We envision a place that grows over time to include broader skills and other essential fieldcraft courses. We imagine pop-up workshops, hosting guest instructors from various trades and inviting inspired speakers to share what they’ve learned over the years, and continually evolving our learning experiences.
Our Call to Stewardship
Owning land in the California mountains comes with a responsibility to protect and defend the beautiful place we call home. We have an obligation to create a place that minimizes the risk to ourselves and the surrounding community. We fortify the land’s natural strengths and offset its weaknesses. We cultivate a landscape to defend against drought and fire by designing and building conscientious metal structures and by using the water that flows through the land, which shields us from loss. A diversity of plant species with a focus on native plants, alongside animals such as alpacas, sheep, goats and chickens, help to foster a healthy ecosystem.
Design in Harmony with Nature
Inspired by the land, we believe that everything built on the site should be harmonious, thoughtful and sustainable. We design and locate our structures so that they blend in with the natural landscape and minimize the visual and environmental impact. Architecture is meant to complement the land by creating beautiful and enticing spaces. We use natural materials that reflect the local history and vernacular.
Growing into the Future
The school is on agricultural land, it's intended to grow; to nourish and create sustenance for the community, for generations. We intend to keep that tradition with a modest farm, greenhouses, animals and a bit of livestock. Together the Wolf Craft Farm will continue to produce and give back to us all.
Wolf Craft School
Wolf Craft is a school first and foremost. A place of collective learning. We intend to use our land to create a place where people can come, share and learn from others. We want to pass down traditions of the arts and crafts.
Driving down Wolf Road, you will see very little of Wolf Craft. Tucked into the hillside, in trees, our corten steel structures blend in seamlessly with the terracotta soil.
Classroom Workshops
These two workshop spaces are where we conduct many of our classes. They are nestled among the trees, hidden from view of the road below and overlook a large pond.
Class Offerings
Wolf Craft is multi-disciplinary school and creative collective. We strive to be diverse, our main disciplines will be Ceramics, Blacksmithing, Woodworking and Fiber Arts. Earth, Metal, Wood and Fiber are the fundamental pillars of our culture and this is a place to explore their uses.
Craft Classes
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Ceramics
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Fiber Arts
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Blacksmithing
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Woodworking
A Home for Animals
Our Barn is more than a utility space, it's heart of our farm. A building that flexes to meet the needs of Wolf Craft. It houses our animals and stores essential equipment. We will have Alpacas and Sheep for wool, Chickens for eggs and Goats to keep the weeds down.
A Living Farm
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Alpacas
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Sheep
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Chickens
Nourishing Body & Mind
Wolf Craft is place to replenish ourselves. Through nature, food and knowledge. We will provide meals for our students.
Food & Beverages
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Fresh Ingredients
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Shared Meals
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Prepared Onsite
Stay with Us
We want to extend the invitation to our students to stay with us. We plan to have tent-cabins delicately set in the trees so our guests can enjoy several days to explore their crafts and enjoy the beauty of the foothills.
Accommodations
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Curated Stays
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Wild Lodging
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Private Settings
The Founders Story
Our roots in Grass Valley grow deep. Our ancestors settled here over century ago and they've been running business in this community for decades. Our love of this place trandscends time and we're committed to giving back to this community through our art and craft. This is our story.
Leslie Barbazette
In 1853, Leslie’s ancestors settled in Grass Valley. Her great, great grandparents, The Fahey's, owned and operated several local businesses. In the 1950’s, Leslie’s great grandmother and her husband managed the Bret Harte Inn. Leslie’s connection to Nevada County runs deep, and it was here that her love of the Sierra Nevada foothills was born.
From textiles to fashion and beyond, Leslie is a lifelong learner. Each year, she takes classes in the fall and learns a new craft, like stained glass and broom making, then makes that craft for her friends and family for the holidays. She looks forward to spending the coming years of hosting classes for others.
Jay Morgan
Originally from the East Coast, he began his career as a Graphic Artist and Art Director and in 2015, relocated to Oakland to focus on blacksmithing. Part of the thriving creative culture of the Bay Area, Jay has spent the past decade developing his expertise in the industrial arts, with a focus on fabrication, construction and blacksmithing. His specialty is knife making, and his work is sought after by professional chefs and discerning collectors. Jay’s dedication to handcraft and his commitment to the arts make him a natural born student and teacher.
Our Shared Dream
Leslie and Jay’s love for the Sierras inspired a vision. With a common passion for making and learning, influenced by the crafts schools along the eastern seaboard, a dream emerged: to create a space in the West where art, craft and community could converge. Wolf Craft is the natural expression and next step in their continued investment in creativity, discovery and sharing.
Project Status
We went before the Planning Commission, and only 4 of the 5 Commissioners were present. The vote was 2/2, which means we didn't get the majority vote we needed for our Use Permit. We are appealing to the Board of Supervisors and our next hearing is October 22, 2024 at 10:30 at the Rood Center in Nevada City. Please come and show your support!
We believe arts and crafts are a vital part of the rural landscape and this project has a place here. It will serve the community and bring visitors that will enjoy the area and will boost revenue in the local economy.
If you agree, and want to support our project, please email the Board of Supervisors by clicking here and let them know. Please sign our petition to show support for the school!