Harbor Springs Craft

free, community-centered craft education rooted in the materials, history, and landscape of our region.

Hands-on Learning, Rooted in Place

Craft is more than just making objects—it’s a way of knowing the world through materials, a practice that connects us to place, and a deeply human tradition of hands-on learning. The Harbor Springs Craft Initiative is built on this philosophy, offering free, community-centered craft education rooted in the materials, history, and landscape of our region.

Through workshops, gatherings, and shared exploration, participants will develop foundational craft skills using locally available materials—wood, bark, fibers, and other elements found in our landscape. Classes emphasize skill-building, process, and craft as an ongoing, meaningful practice rather than just a finished product.

This initiative is about accessibility, creativity, and connection. By offering craft education for free, we remove financial barriers and the transactional expectations that often shape paid workshops. This allows participants to explore craft for the sake of discovery—to carve, weave, or shape materials without pressure. It also expands what’s possible, opening space for material-gathering excursions, experimental processes, and deep skill-building.

By engaging with the natural materials of Harbor Springs, this initiative strengthens the connection between people and the landscape, fostering a sense of belonging, creativity, and stewardship. It ensures that craft remains a living, evolving practice—one that grows from the materials at hand and the people who shape them.

hands-on learning

connecting to place through natural materials

Community-centered craft

The Maker Behind the Mission

I’m Dawson Moore and I’ve spent the past decade immersed in craft—not just in making objects, but in practicing skills, exploring techniques, and teaching others. What began as a personal pursuit has grown into something deeper: a way of understanding materials, place, and the connections that form through hands-on work.

My path has taken me across the country to learn from skilled craftspeople, experiment with new tools and materials, and refine my own approach. I’ve built my practice on slow, intentional learning—letting materials reveal their own logic, allowing skills to develop through repetition, and embracing the kind of knowledge that comes only through doing. Teaching has become an extension of this, a way to share what I’ve learned while continuing to grow myself.

I’m especially drawn to working with natural materials—wood, bark, fibers, and other elements gathered from the landscape. There’s a rhythm to working with what’s at hand, a conversation between maker and material that feels both ancient and deeply relevant today. Craft isn’t just about producing things; it’s about process, problem-solving, and the relationships we build along the way—with our tools, our environment, and each other.

For me, craft is a lifelong pursuit. I’ll always be learning, always refining, always discovering new ways to engage with materials and share that knowledge with others.

Come Join Us

Classes and events are currently meeting at the Harbor Springs Kiwanis Winter Park warming hut, also known as the "Crowle Hole".

1100 Arbor St, Harbor Springs, MI 49740

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