History and Mission

Expanding Textile Traditions. Sharpening Creativity. Seeing Culture through Craft. Learning from Nature. 

 

Since 2013, WildCraft’s mission has been to offer exceptional in-person programming to diverse, adult learners (18 yrs & up), with a special focus on Craft, Textiles, Studio Art, Native Art and Nature-based workshops. From our Portland studios—as well as from the farms, forests and beaches that make up our off-site classrooms—WildCraft strives to awaken creativity and deepen an understanding of place, through hands-on experiences in making and learning.

Learn more about our history and in-person workshops on our Main Website.

The Video Project

We began this video exploration in July 2020, in response to many factors: a canceled season of in-person classes due to the pandemic, followed by more cancellations from wildfire, smoke and extreme heat danger. Prior to pandemic times, the request for virtual classes was common, but we didn’t yet have the resources or team to create virtual classes that matched the quality and intention of our in-person workshops.

We kicked off our video project with the goal of creating a collection of compelling, immersive videos, designed to give students the feeling of being part of a WildCraft class. Unlike many creative video companies who start with a business plan, a collection of investors and little hands-on experience running and supporting educational experiences, we came at this project from the authentic site of nearly 10 years of experience creating, curating and supporting in-person workshops for adult learners. We know what makes a good class and we’re pleased to translate that knowledge into an accessible, digital format!

We hope you enjoy our video tutorials, in-house written CraftBooks and NatureBooks and customized kits full of essential materials and tools.