Saturday Workshop: From Screens to Sawdust

We’ve all spent a lot of time staring at blue light lately, meeting online to stay warm while the Land Lab is tucked away for the winter. But this week, we’re breaking the digital routine. It’s time to close the laptop, put on your boots, and get your hands dirty. We are opening up the workshop at Art Borups Corners for a special Saturday afternoon session where we’ll trade our keyboards for hammers and reclaimed timber.

Our mission is to take those silvered, weathered boards salvaged from old shacks in the bush and give them a second life. These planks have spent decades aging in the elements, and now we’re going to transform them into the skeleton of our future gallery space. We’ll be experimenting with textures and joinery to build custom display stands and plinths that will house our upcoming winter and spring arts exhibitions.

This isn’t just about building furniture; it’s about finding the “wabi-sabi” in the wreckage. Whether you’re a seasoned woodworker or have never picked up a drill (like many of us!), this three-hour workshop is all about collaborative experimentation. We’ll figure out how to showcase the natural decay and grain of the wood to create a rustic, high-end look for our community art space on a zero-dollar material budget.

To keep the creative energy flowing, we’ll have plenty of hot chocolate and snacks to keep us warm while we work. This is a rare chance to connect in person during the off-season and leave with a tangible contribution to our gallery’s infrastructure. Swap the screen for the woodshop and help us turn forest history into art history!