Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute

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The Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute (SBWI) is a post-secondary school and non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Adrian, MI. We support woodworking education through our three pillars of programming: Diploma Program, Intensive Courses, and Weekend Courses. We continue to improve our school each year by adding new classes, bringing in world-renowned instructors, and adding new programming.

The SBWI was founded by Luke Barnett, a Windsor Chairmaker, and Dena Koehn, a graduate of Adrian College with a BFA in Studio Art and a BA in English. Luke has won many awards from the Woodworking Network, Directory of Traditional American Crafts, and Early American Life Magazine. His work has been exhibited in galleries all over the world like the traveling Smithsonian Exhibit. He has been a speaker at the International Woodworking Fair (IWF) and is an Accredited Skills Evaluator (ASE) through the Woodworking Career Alliance of North America (WCA).

When the duo met in 2015, Dena was a member of a local pottery club which eventually became the Adrian Center for the Arts (ACA). Luke and Dena started teaching woodworking at the ACA and across the country. The classes gained popularity and, in 2015, the City of Adrian approached them with an opportunity to take over a vacant old power plant, which is where the SBWI began.

*Samson Beauford is the name of a dog owned by Luke during his career as a Chairmaker. Source