Classes at Rosewood Studio in Almonte, Ont. are back in session after the school abruptly closed in June 2007 and then reopened in July under new a new owner, longtime Rosewood instructor Ron Barter. Workshops began Aug. 13. Fine Woodworking contributing editor Garrett Hack taught classes in late October (see photo above). Hack is the first guest instructor since the school shut its doors this summer. Ironically, he also taught Rosewood’s final class before it shut down. Classes with Adrian Ferrazzutti and Michael Fortune are scheduled for 2008.

This summer’s closure surprised many. Rosewood Studio Inc. filed for bankruptcy under program director Ted Brown on June 4, just over a month after the school’s fifth-anniversary show, according to the school’s Web site. Brown is not involved in the new Rosewood Studio, said Barter.

Dollars and passports contribute to the close
Barter told FineWoodworking.com that several factors influenced the closure, including a weak U.S. dollar and passport requirements for U.S. residents flying to Canada. Early on, 40 percent of students came from the U.S. That percentage dropped to about 10 percent in the school’s last year, said Barter.

The growing number of woodworking schools also played a role. “There’s more competition out there so people have more options,” he said.

It’s all about the details. Hack (maroon shirt holding table leg) and students in his five-day Exquisite Surfaces and Details course.

Barter didn’t originally plan to buy the school. After learning about the closure, he said his goal was to continue teaching and buy a couple of the Rosewood benches to expand his home shop.

But, the school’s creditors wanted to auction the school’s assets as a block, not piece by piece. “I gave it a lot of thought and ended up with the winning bid on the assets,” he said.

Much remains the same
Barter reopened the school using the same building, name, phone numbers, and much of the same staff. Rosewood still schedules a variety of one- to ten-day workshops in addition to its Craftsmanship Series. The series’ involve six-week, 12-week, and 9-month programs. Barter noted that the majority of students actually complete the programs in one-week class segments.

Expert demos. Hack teaches his techniques during his class that ran from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, 2007.

Barter has added a Resident Craftsman Program. Someone who completes the 9-month course could apply to stay on at Rosewood to build skills, use the shop to craft their own furniture, and help out around the school. Barter said this lets other students see advanced level studio furniture being built.

How to make it viable
Barter is optimistic about the school’s future and said he’s received a lot of support and encouragement from people in the woodworking community. “If I didn’t think it was doable I wouldn’t be here.”

Some obstacles won’t change, however. Barter doesn’t see an easy way to increase student traffic from the U.S., especially in light of the stronger Canadian dollar. “Some things are well beyond my control. The Canadian U.S. dollar balance is one of those things,” he said.

Interested U.S. students should visit Rosewood Studio’s Web site for information on crossing visiting the school from the United States.

Photos by Ron Barter and courtesy of Rosewood Studio

Published 11/2/2007