the vision
a folk school in minneapolis
CENTER FOR PEOPLE AND CRAFT is an emerging urban folk school in Minneapolis, MN. Supported by the Arts & Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Minneapolis, the Center celebrates the rich cultural diversity of our city and the many traditions that thrive in this particular place on earth—from craft, ritual, and music to dance, storytelling, and foraging.
Located adjacent to Loring Park in the education building of St. Mark's Cathedral, the Center will expand access to traditional crafts and their contemporary expressions, foster connection to place and community, and nurture intergenerational learning.
Our vision is inspired by the historic Danish folk school model–which served as a talisman against fascism in the mid 1800s–reimagined for our urban, multicultural setting. Through hands-on workshops and community events, we will bring together artisans, culture bearers, and neighbors to honor heritage and place, spark creativity, and strengthen cross-cultural connections.
This Arts & Culture Vibrant Storefronts is funded, in part, by the City of Minneapolis Arts & Cultural Affairs Department.
registration is open for winter classes!
upcoming events
light in the darkness
Sunday, December 14, 2025
4-5:45pm Lantern-making at CPC (By registration—Almost full!)
5:45 - 7pm Lantern Walk and Community Singing at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral
Come to CENTER FOR PEOPLE AND CRAFT for a free, drop-in lantern-making workshop from 4-5:45pm. (By registration only)
At 5:45, we’ll light our lanterns and walk together outdoors through the darkness and into St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, where renowned songleader Sarina Patridge will lead us in an hour of all-abilities community singing. All are welcome to join for the procession and singing.
In the darkest time of the year, this gathering emphasizes community belonging, handcraft and song as avenues for creating light and joy.
we’re building this thing together.
From cleanup, construction, and painting the space, to hosting events and writing grants, folk schools are built by passionate volunteers and supporters. Whatever your skill set, free time, or interest, please get in touch!
learn more & help out
Use this form to sign up for our newsletter and let us know how you want to get involved.
donate to the folk school
CENTER FOR PEOPLE AND CRAFT is the recipient of a 2025 Vibrant Storefronts award from the City of Minneapolis’ Arts and Cultural Affairs Department. This $100,000 in funding covers the majority of our facility costs for two years. We have a home!
Thanks to more than generous donors, we've raised over $17,000! This amount ensures we can pay the basic bills through the end of 2025 while we continue to ramp up--including the remainder of our rent plus insurance, some basic furniture, signage to help people find our tucked-away door, and basic supplies.
We need your help to reach our new goal of $50,000. The last hurdle before we can dive into offering juicy programming like workshops in Somali finger weaving, Scandinavian kulning, or birch bark basketry, we need to hire our first coordinator to get things rolling (create a registration system! recruit instructors and develop classes!)--and acquire some basic tools and classroom furniture. Let’s do this!
finding us
CENTER FOR PEOPLE AND CRAFT is located in Loring Park across the street from the Walker Art Center, facing Lyndale Avenue. Address: 519 Oak Grove Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403
To the right of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral’s front entrance is a one story stone building with a concrete ramp. That’s us! Ring the doorbell attached to the right side of the silver box. We rent our space from the Cathedral but are a separate entity.
PARKING: There is a large lot behind the building that is available by optional donation to the Cathedral. Enter on Oak Grove Street. Walk up the outside stairs toward the corner of Lyndale and Oak Grove Street, then left past the front of the Cathedral, then turn left and continue along the side of the cathedral to our door.
ACCESSIBLE PARKING: Enter from Lyndale Avenue to the front entrance of the Cathedral. Traveling north from uptown, use the red-painted right turn lane and watch for a pull out to the right. There are 4 parking spaces straight ahead, as well as 4 on the curved driveway directly in front of the entrance.
FOR SPECIAL EVENTS ONLY: Volunteers will be posted at the southernmost door at the rear of the building to enter that way, with one set of interior stairs to get to CENTER FOR PEOPLE AND CRAFT.
BIKE OR TAKE THE BUS: The 4 and 6 bus routes go right past our door, as does a protected bike lane.
