2024

Dear friends, old and new,

In the last year and a half my health picture has changed remarkably and I find that I am physically not able to function as well as I once did.   After much thought, Janet and I decided that, regrettably, we will not be offering any formal classes in our folk school in 2024 or in the foreseeable future.  We want to  thank all of you who have joined us on the island and supported our activities over the years.  We hope the experiences you have had enriched your lives as much as they have enriched ours. 

Gary and Janet Hill

Raspberry Island

We admit, the term "folk school" may be a bit grand for what we do -- but Raspberry Island Folk School is a folk school in its truest sense: simply a place where people learn new skills using their hands.

We started offering summertime classes in blacksmithing and pottery on our island several years ago, mainly taught by Gary. Over the years, offerings included workshops taught by well-known and sought-after instructors in the folk arts.

We've been featured on the TV show Common Ground on Lakeland PBS (thank you, Scott Knudson!).  You can see the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NCfcofcDn8&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR03CH9WAaVF7ta5ryoqfI7WhWbkW-bMJnOpBz_1vq8daO13rNBWWy-LxAI

Raspberry Island is located on beautiful, historic Big Sandy Lake, about 2 1/4 hours straight north of the Twin Cities, and about an hour west of Duluth. (For more information about life on Raspberry Island, see http://raspberryisland.blogspot.com/)

All seven acres of Raspberry Island, looking from SSE to NNW

To contact:  email hillx001@umn.edu or text 218.851.6085