Ely Folk School Instructors
Abby Dare is an experiential educator with a passion for exploring the nuances of communication and relationships. Her approach blends thoughtful analysis with a genuine enthusiasm for sharing insights. She thrives on creating inclusive, engaging environments where laughter, vulnerability, and individuality are welcomed. She looks forward to guiding you through enriching conversations and helping you discover new perspectives. Together, you can work towards making our world a more joyful, safe, and inclusive place, starting with your own interactions and relationships.
Andrea Doerr has been enjoying the natural world in and around Ely for over 15 years through her career in environmental and experiential education and, more recently, as a mother of two very curious young boys. She especially appreciates that first walk in the dusk with spring peepers calling and finding small beaked hazel flowers peaking out. There are truly endless places to explore within and nearby Ely, which makes Andrea content and grateful to live and raise a family here.
Andrine Lemieux loves to see the excitement in students as they approach and master a new skill! She is so incredibly grateful to the upholstery instructors that she has met in the past, and she feel it’s her turn to give back and help grow the next generation of upholsterers. Andrine also loves to see that people in their 20’s and 30’s are very invested in recycling, upcycling, and re-imagining old treasures. This is a very creative skill worth looking at. Andrine has had a long interest in furniture making and refinishing. Although for much of my career it was only a hobby, in 2021 she took steps to make it her full-time career. She has enjoyed the many challenges and opportunities this decision has given her. Laurel Poppler is my local mentor and friend.
Autumn Cole has taught numerous sewing and quilting classes for kids and adults at the Ely Folk School. She loves inspiring young people to learn to sew and develop a hobby that is practical, fun, and imaginative. The possibilities are endless! Autumn is a retired doctor of clinical psychology, PT college instructor, and owned Secret Sisters, a local consignment boutique. She says she has always enjoyed teaching, and her students give her rave reviews as an enthusiastic, patient, and encouraging instructor. Her hobbies have included sewing, quilting, creating jewelry, and participating in outdoor sports. She finds creative activities to be a way to relax the mind and bring joy to the heart. She is currently a certified Happiness Coach and likes to focus on being a grateful and uplifting person while also helping others find joy, and that includes sewing!
Ayla Erickson has spent most of her life exploring the Northwoods of Minnesota and waters of Lake Superior, where her passion for outdoor education originated. Over the past 10 years she has held a variety of experiential education positions in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, and Colorado. She believes that spending time outside with others is foundational to building a strong community. She desires to instill a sense of wonder and play in whoever she finds herself next to outdoors. When Ayla is not working as an educator, she’s paddling a lake or river, looking for birds, or playing board games with friends.
Bekah Lunn lived in many places until finding home in a connection to the Northwoods. She has explored many creative mediums, including photography, silversmithing, fiber arts and kitchen craft. A love of working with and understanding plants through all these mediums led to an interest in herbalism and pursuing the Master of Herbalism program through the Green Wisdom School of Botanical Medicine, graduating in 2023. An ethos of personal growth from lifelong learning and reciprocity with our environment inspires her to continue deepening knowledge about our surrounding flora, and to share that enthusiasm with others. She prioritizes accessibility of art, craft and herbalism as folk skills that can be incorporated into anyone’s daily life. Bekah has previously taught Kids Maker’s Morning classes at EFS and Teen Art Workshops through NLAA, and finds joy in meeting people where they are along their journey.
Bert Hyde and Mark Olson are skilled woodsmen who have experienced a lot of cold weather, undaunted. They are long-time friends, do-it-yourselfers, and Ely Folk School instructors and supporters, who get a kick out of showing other people how to do cool things.
Brenda Olson has extensive teaching experience teaching social studies, language arts, math, and science to middle school students and has worked as both a paraprofessional and tutor. She teaches soap making classes to people of all ages at Camp Du Nord. In her free time Brenda likes to adventure with her adult children and grandchildren. Hiking, Nordic skiing, canoeing, reading, biking and talking with friends are some of her favorite pastimes. She especially enjoys the solitude of the BWCAW.
Cecilia Rolando is a local creative - busy drawing and painting - making art daily and enjoying it. She retired from working locally as Executive Directive of Northern Lakes Arts Association for 27 years; always though making art too. She uses watercolor and acrylics as well as her phone and computer apps as mediums. Current art making continues a lifetime of work, only now she has more time to do so. She shows at Cook’s Northwood’s Friends of the Arts Gallery, the Ely Watercolor Club Show and Sale in July, and recently had a solo show through NLAA at Ely’s Historic State Theater. Her unfinished website is artRolando.com and she is on Facebook.
Daina Antanaitis is a self-taught beading artist who was drawn to beads in her early twenties. She was captivated by the diverse, rich, cultural, global manifestations of beads past and present. Daina started as most do, by stringing beads. Netting and looming on a little hand made loom soon followed. She loved the texture, colors and effects that seed beads produced. Daina moved to the Ely area with her son to work in the outdoors and never left. Over the next thirty-five years, between working, raising her son, meeting her husband and homesteading, she beaded as able. Daina began beading on leather about twenty years ago, creating “bead paintings”. She also made pouches, shields and bags often as commemorative items for significant life events. Daina continues to create with beads: netting, stitching, looming and embroidering. Size 11 seed based remain her favorites. She continues to be inspired by: simple and purposeful living, the natural world, Native American beaded art and good books/stories that fuel her vivid imagination.
Diane Thomson has taught previously at several yarn shops in the Twin Cities and at the Ely Folk School. She also currently offers knitting classes at Sisu DesignsYarn Shop in Ely. Diane enjoys many of the fiber arts and learned to weave in high school. She rediscovered weaving in 1985 when she purchased her first loom. She spent most of her weaving time on rag rugs until the 90’s when she focused on spinning and knitting and has taught classes in both at the folk school. Diane says, “Since retiring to Ely I am hoping to spend more time getting back into weaving.”
DJ Floyd was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. She moved to Ely in August 2024, but feels like she has been here for years. DJ loves to do a variety of crafts, including drawing, sewing if all sorts, card making, stuffed animal creations, and anything else her brain tells her she should try.
DyAnne Korda’s work has been published in several journals including The Wisconsin Academy Review, ArtWord Quarterly, and Agates. Her poetry has also been broadcast on KAXE Radio's morning show, and their literary programs Wordish and Stay Human. DyAnne's most recent poetry collection is Nighthawk Storyteller. Her previous books include The Shore's Absolute Edge and This Earth Woman. Along with offering frequent workshops for Ely Folk School, she's taught for the Center of Continuing Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Isaac Hall has been creative since childhood. He makes everything from quilts to candy, novels to historical costuming, and almost anything in between. He taught English lit in public school to teens, renaissance history to adults and teens (and a few kids),and can't imagine a world without creativity! He moved to Ely from Texas in late 2024 and hasn't looked back. He comes from a family of makers and crafters who encouraged him as a child to keep creating. He loves passing on that knowledge and enthusiasm to others. He is on FB and has a website https://www.themillqc.com/
Jackson Harren is the owner of Northern Toboggan Co. located near Warroad, MN and Wintergreen Northern Wear in Ely, MN. His wooden toboggan business specializes in manufacturing hand crafted wooden outdoor gear including toboggans, sleds, snowshoes and furniture. Jackson loves spending time outdoors in the winter and helping others get out there.
Jaime Brennan has had a passion for plants as far back as she can remember. Her fondest memories as a child were walking through the family apple orchard, in upstate NY, to a small woodlot filled with native wildflowers and a little brook. Her passion followed her to college where she acquired an associates in Floral design and a BS in Horticulture. While traveling with her husband she found an herbal club that met monthly where another passion took root. Using plants and herbs for health. Jaime decided she wanted to know more and in 2007 went to Vermont to study with Rosemary Gladstar. She found a deep love in sharing her knowledge and products with others and opened an herbal store in 2010 where she felt a nudge to expand her knowledge. Jaime decided to become a Certified Health Coach. After moving to Ely, MN in 2015 she began teaching many classes, opened a wellness center and added two more certifications; Quantum Human Design and Quantum Alignment Specialist, and founded the Ely Wellness Collaborative. Her philosophy is to help others create Tranquility, which she defines as a body in balance, a mind at ease and an awakened soul. Her herbal products and offerings can be found at TranquilitybyJaime.com
Jennifer Toddie lives with her family on a wooded homestead in Ely and delights in the magic of making! She has been an educator for over 30 years, teaching middle and high school social studies, social and emotional wellness, reading, writing, preschool and Elementary Montessori. She has taught and facilitated summer classes for youth at the Ely Folk School for the past three years, witnessing the joy children experience when they experiment with their creative spirits, whether it be through cooking in the mud kitchen, storytelling, building relationships, growing a garden, or making art that connects them more deeply to themselves, the natural world and their community. Jen is a Master Reiki practitioner, yoga instructor, and has recently completed Rosemary Gladstar’s The Science and Art of Herbology certification course. She enjoys creating herbal remedies and products for her family and friends here in the northland.
Jess Edberg is the Executive Director of the Dorothy Molter Museum, a board member/responder for the MN-Alliance for Heritage Response and adjunct instructor at MN North College - Vermilion Campus. Jess also plays on the local women’s hockey team, takes advantage of the amazing regional natural resources, volunteers for the International Wolf Center and travels when she can with her family.
Jess Kulik is a former teacher, getting her PhD in developmental psychology studying executive functioning skills and their impact on relationships and social skills. While teaching, Jess taught 2-8th grade in Bilingual (Spanish), general education, and special education. During that time, she noticed the importance of executive functioning skills on academic success and relationships between students. In the past, she has helped families create interventions and support in their home to promote student success. Jess also works at Boundary Waters Connect, which has shown her how important our community and social fabric really is. Seeing up close how strong Ely is at celebrating and supporting its community has influenced her research greatly and brought more joy to her life.
John Scully is an artist, carpenter, general contractor, and mostly self-taught potter whose work explores the intersection of basic mathematics, geometry, and functional design. In ceramics, he is drawn to the quiet precision of form, the honesty of handmade work, and the way intentional design can elevate functional pieces. As an artist and maker, John blends creativity with practical problem-solving, bringing lessons from work in small business manufacturing, wood working, home construction and Wikipedia. He encourages students to experiment, observe closely, and develop their own relationship to both process and product. His goal is to create a welcoming, collaborative environment where students can explore their craft, gain confidence, and enjoy the experience of authentically creating.
Johnnie Hyde worked as an Outward Bound instructor for canoeing, winter dog sledding, camping and has guided private trips into the Boundary Waters. She also volunteers as an EMT and a firefighter with the US Forest Service. She is the owner of Raven Words Press in Ely and has served on the Ely Folk School Board.
Karl Kubiak is the band director and music teacher at the Ely Public Schools, and an avid orchestral musician. He conducts the school bands full time, performs full time with the Bemidji Symphony and the Duluth Superior Symphony, and still manages to find time to ski, bake, and garden!
Kim Garrett is a Scandinavian Folk Artist who specializes in Norwegian and Swedish Traditional folk painting. Kim has studied in both Norway and Sweden with Master Artists and has taught across the US, including here at the Ely Folk School.
Kit Briem grew up as the youngest in a household of 10 people and learned to cook at her mother’s side. Cooking ran from sweet rolls to strawberry jam to pickles to huge pots of red sauce. Kit had the good fortune to learn more skills from her mom’s friends, most of whom were first generation to this county. This past year, Kit has been learning about herbs at the Folk School, canning peaches, salsa, crabapple jelly, applesauce, and making her own peanut butter.
Kristen Anderson is a feltmaker working with wool and using a wet felting technique to create tapestries. Much of her work focuses on a connection to the natural world and specifically the ecosystem science found in the place she calls home. She collaborates with the scientific community to deepen her insight and connection and create art to hold teachings and share her voice. Kristen was one of NLAA's featured artists on display at the Ely Area Community Hub in 2025.
Lacey Squier loves cooking food of all kinds. She is an amateur cook who spends much of her free time learning how to recreate dishes from her favorite restaurant and travel experiences. It is liberating to realize you can have anything you want for dinner ... as long as you're willing to make it yourself! When not experimenting with food at home (and making a huge mess of her kitchen), Lacey likes to take walks or go on a hike with her spouse, Eric, and their dog Wendell.
Laurel Poppler was a DIY upholsterer for several years. In 2003 she traveled to Wales for a 2-week training workshop in traditional upholstery. Once back in Ely, she reached out to Steve Cone for ongoing mentoring. Mr. Cone wrote one of the “bibles” in the field of upholstery (Singer Upholstery Basics Plus, Creative Publishing International Inc.) and he became a close friend as well as mentor until he died in 2019. Laurel lovingly referred to him as the “gold coin” in her pocket. Currently Laurel does a mix of traditional and modern upholstery. Laurel looks forward to growing the next generation of upholsterers who can continue to provide this service to our local community. This is her first foray into formal teaching, and she look forward to learning from the EFS students and sharing what she have learned over the years.
Les Conrad is a local artist/photographer who focuses on the beauty of the natural world. Les says, “The night sky never ceases to amaze me. We are very lucky to live with some of the darkest night skies around!” Les spent his working life photographing portraits of people. Once retired, Les turned his lenses and attention toward nature, wildlife and landscapes, with particular attention to the night sky. Les moved from the Twin Cities to Ely when he retired. Les has many years of experience teaching adult photographers including a two-day session at the International Wolf Center. He also presented an “Editing Your Aurora Images” session at the Aurora Summit 2017 in Two Harbors, MN. He knows how to simplify explanations using real world examples so that all learners understand the content. Les is the official photographer of the Wolf Track Classic sled dog race in Ely.
Manoline Dumesnil is an exchange student from France who is spending ten months here in the United States as a senior at Ely High School. Mano decided to do this exchange year to discover a new country and culture, but also to learn more about herself. Mano will be teaching a series of three cooking classes focused on French breakfast, lunch, and dinner in order to earn some money to help fund her trip to Washington, D.C, with the other Ely High School seniors. Mano has always loved cooking ever since she was little and used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with her mother, learning from her and helping her prepare food. She is excited for this first ever teaching opportunity.
Ozzie Reif is passionate about working with his hands and teaching outdoor skills. He first fell in love with the Northwoods working as a canoe guide, and he has since learned that winters up north can be equally as loveable. Ozzie has found that sewing is a great way to help people connect with their gear and the environment.
Rebecca Pauly attended college for elementary education and currently works at Washington Elementary in special education. Throughout her life, she has maintained an active involvement in her community, dedicating her efforts to making a positive impact on the lives of children. From her early experiences teaching Sunday School, to her contributions in elementary classrooms during high school, to her leadership in a local after-school program, and her job as a special education paraprofessional supporting those who need it most, Rebecca has consistently sought opportunities to support and nurture young minds. She would love to open her passion to anyone wanting to learn how to connect to the disabled individuals they come in contact with. Rebecca was born and raised in Minnesota and lost her hearing as a young girl. She got it partially back through surgery (and she wears hearing devices) which has sparked an intense passion for advocacy of the disabled to be included as much as possible.
Riley Kleve is a nonbinary textile artist and educator creating interactive and collaborative work in community-led settings. Their work in weaving, handspinning, and embroidery draws from history to create a queerer vision for the future of textiles. They’ve taught fiber classes large and small in settings ranging from biweekly library get-togethers to large dusk-to-dawn community arts festivals. Riley is a 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, a 2024-2026 resident artisan at North House Folk School, and a believer that wool is the best fiber.
Sarah Hansen has enjoyed exploring nature journaling for a couple of decades- while on trail, traveling or at home. In recent years, she has enjoyed using sketchbook journaling and phenology wheels as a way to notice joy in everyday moments.
Shirley Horsman moved up to Northern Minnesota 4 years ago and started a few new hobbies as well as a small business--baking became her happy place. Shirley started Maribel (her sourdough starter) a little over a year ago; she’s strong and makes many different recipes for her family.
Steve Engel has earned a Level III in Track & Sign Identification with the Certified Wildlife Trackers Association (CWTA). He has been studying and collecting tracks from Alaska to Antarctica since 1981.
Susan Larson grew up spending most of her summertime at her family's primitive island cabin on Lake Vermilion and since 2020 has lived summers there full time. Although rural Northwest Wisconsin has been 'home' for the past 12 years, Sue is now excited to call both Tower (summer) and Ely (Winter) her home. Her continuous curiosity and studies in the healing arts and modalities led Sue to complete her 1600-hour Masters of Herbalism from the Green Wisdom School of Botanical Medicine in 2019. Sue has a passion for sharing her knowledge and empowering other people to achieve wellness. Sue especially enjoys offering her hands-on, make-and-take courses which include the always popular Elderberry Syrup Class!
The Forging Community is a Duluth-based blacksmith collective offering classes and custom metalwork on London Road. Forging Community exists to educate, to the best of our abilities, the general public about the art and craft of metalsmithing. They will teach all who wish to learn and practice the craft with us, deepening and broadening our knowledge of the art, thus ensuring the survival and sustainability of metalsmithing into the future.
Tracy Koivisto has deep roots being born and raised in northern Minnesota. After wandering the mountains of Colorado and Alaska for the last several years, she is excited to be currently planted and cultivating a life in Ely, MN. As a graduate of the Colorado School of Herbalism in 2013, she loves supporting students on their plant path. Tracy is a certified clinical herbalist, certified nutritionist, certified astrologer, and medicinal herb grower, she also holds a Master’s Degree in Holistic Health Counseling and Nature Based Healing. In her wellness practice, Birch and Fern Holistic Health, she weaves plant medicine, nutritional wellness, and astrology into her vitalist approach, serving as a guide for individuals on a path to connect with their innate wisdom. As a medicinal herb grower, wildcrafter, and former manager of an herb farm, she works toward providing her community with access to herbal medicine and mindfully crafted herbal products. Tracy's last name, Koivisto, is a Finnish name meaning "grove of birch trees", so naturally the northern woods feel like home. She fondly remembers wandering the forests and exploring the plant life with her beloved dog, Fern.
Tatiana Riabokin has been making pysanky since she was a wee child. Born into a Ukrainian family in St.Paul, MN., making pysanky was a family affair - all would gather at the dining room table every evening in late winter and early spring to make pysanky for friends, family, colleagues, and church.
Wade Pharr is one of our Ely Folk School Ceramics Studio Managers! He has been throwing clay in the Ely area for years. You may recognize his work via Pharr Thrown Studios and around town. He believes in the power of practice and is eager to help folks explore functional art via ceramics.