Yestermorrow Design/Build School in Waitsfield, Vermont offers over 80 hands-on courses per year in design, construction, woodworking, and architectural craft and offers a variety of courses concentrating in sustainable design. Now in its 35th year, Yestermorrow is one of the only design/build schools in the country, teaching both design and construction skills. Our hands-on 1-day to 3-week workshops, certificate programs and semester programs are taught by top architects, builders, and craftspeople from across the country. For people of all ages and experience levels, from novice to professional.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Yestermorrow Art Auction December 4

Yestermorrow’s one night only 6th Annual Art Auction will take place Saturday, December 4 with doors opening to the public at 7pm and the live auction beginning at 8pm. Dave Sellers hailed as one of the world’s top 100 architects by Architectural Digest will serve as auctioneer. In addition to the live auction, the winner of the hand-built kayak raffle will be chosen. A silent auction will also be part of the festivities. All proceeds from the auction benefit Yestermorrow’s scholarship fund, which provides potential students who don’t have the financial capacity to attend the Yestermorrow’s diverse course offering with much-needed financial assistance. The 6th Annual Art Auction is free and the public is welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served.

Yestermorrow’s annual event showcases artists associated with the School who come from the Mad River Valley, Montpelier, Burlington, and Northfield as well as artisans who reside in Maryland, Washington, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New York. They represent the enormous talent found in the Yestermorrow community of faculty, staff, interns, students, and Board members.

Some highlights of the auction are a painting by New York artist Larissa Bates, whose work was called “a beautifully described world” by The New York Times; a pencil drawing by the famed New Yorker cartoonist Ed Koren; and an encaustic painting by Danville, Vermont resident Bill Peabody. The head of the Industrial Design department at the Rhode Island School of Design and Yestermorrow Board member Mickey Ackerman is represented by two oil paintings. A small painting by Montpelier-based artist Frank Woods will also be auctioned. Woods recently had a show in the Governor’s Office in Montpelier and has been called a “painter’s painter” by the Vermont State curator. Photographs by New York based Megan Tompkins Kelly, Warren’s own Amalia Elena Veralli, and Laura Hill Bermingham will be for sale, as will collages, mosaics, and a hand blown glass bowl courtesy of Mad River Glass.

The December 4 event at Yestermorrow also includes an extensive silent auction. Hand-made furniture, items crafted from wood, jewelry, gift certificates to performing arts events as well as to several New England inns will all be available, as will consultations on energy efficiency, landscape design, and a catered whole foods meal for four.

“The art auction gives Yestermorrow the chance to open its doors and to welcome everyone to come inside and take a look. See for yourself the incredible creativity and talent that is fostered within the Yestermorrow community. Whether it’s to support our scholarship fund, find some holiday cheer, or to purchase unique holiday gifts, please visit the school on December 4th. There’s something for everyone.” explained Kate Stephenson, Yestermorrow’s Executive Director.

The evening will conclude the raffle for an elegant hand-built skin-on-frame kayak. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at http://www.yestermorrow.org/kayak-raffle/ or by calling (802) 496-5545 or visiting Yestermorrow. Tickets sell for $10 each or six for $50.

Yestermorrow’s fundraiser offers diverse collection of holiday gift items in a festive setting.

To learn more about any of the featured art pieces, click on the slideshow below.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Certified!

Today at Yestermorrow we graduated 12 Certified Renovators through the Lead Safety for Renovation, Repair and Painting program offered by the EPA. Did you know that if you are a contractor or carpenter in the U.S. working on a house built before 1978 you need to test for lead paint and follow strict guidelines for the containment and disposal of lead dust when doing any renovations? Did you know you need to be a Lead-Safe Certified Firm?

We were lucky to be able to partner with Vermont Technical College's Center for Sustainable Practices to offer twelve of our faculty, staff and interns this certification, with funding from the VTGreen program which supports green jobs training in Vermont. This 8-hour certification is critical for any contractor who work in older homes, even if they are adding on additions or doing small interior renovation projects.

We learned how to properly test for lead paint, and the proper procedures to follow for containment of dust and debris and clean-up. It's complicated stuff, but important to know in order to prevent lead poisoning (and major fines from the EPA). For more information on how to find a certified renovator RRP course near you, check out the EPA website.

Monday, November 01, 2010

Farm Design images

Here are a few great images from the Farm Design course which just finished up last Friday. Their many field trips included trips to Essex Farm, Butterworks Farm, Green Mountain Girls Farm, and Vermont Compost. Each student worked on their own individual farm design project in the studio, culminating in presentations all day Friday.

These great photos were taken by one of our current Design/Build Interns, Tonia Sing Chi: