History

1993
1993
1996
1996
Jackie Wollenberg spear headed the effort to buy the Alger St. house, owned by College of the Redwoods, who had hoped to make it in to student housing for the Krenov Fine Woodworking Program, in spring 1996.

It had to be offered to non-profits first. 3 groups bid on it. Don Nelson bid $1, a former woodworker bid but didn’t have a non-profit status yet. Jackie called the business office and found out CR had paid $90,000 for it. We offered $85 – 87,000 )?) and our offer was accepted. We raised $70,000 in private donations, most less than $1000 in three months and took private $5,000 loans for the rest (Alice Knapp, Sue Arnold, Susan Druding).

We took ownership in June 1996, but the house was in bad shape. It had been offered to the fire department to burn down. They declined. We needed a new roof, electricity (Dave Gealey and Ron Cutler), flooring (Jackie), water, ivy hedge removal and more. We weren’t able to open to the public until 2005. In the meantime, Jackie hosted classes at her Henhouse Studios.

1998
1998
Roberta Brockschmidt and Valerie Frey began renting two of the upstairs bedrooms as private (but open to the public) studios in approximately 1998.

The northern building (now the tapestry studio) was built for storage of the many donations of materials and equipment by Greg Tregoning, 1998

Photo: 1998 Vision Meeting

2006
2006
The first on-site Gallery show was work by Members.
Oct. 2006
2011-2013
2011-2013
The classroom and library buildings were purchased from the School District in 2011. We paid approximately $1 each but spent $80,000 preparing the space & driveway and moving them in. They needed new roofs, new south walls, flooring, etc., The City required $11,000 worth of ceiling fire sprinklers in the classroom.

On-site classes in the new classroom began in earnest in 2012.

Greg Tregoning built the courtyard in 2013 with a starter grant of $4000 from the Community Foundation of Mendocino County.
Total cost was about $10,000

2020
2020
In March 2020 We were forced to shut down by the Covid Pandemic.
2021-2022
2021-2022
August 2021 we had our first in person Gallery Opening and Program with Jean Pierre and Yadin Larochette and Yael Lurie, celebrating the release of their book “Anatomy
of a Tapestry”.

Shortly after we closed again to in-person activities other than volunteers and board members until January 2022 “Alive and Well” members work gallery show which had no in-person opening.

After several pandemic postponements, Adriane Nicolaisen’s class “Start Weaving, Keep Weaving, Weave Better” was able to happen with half the students.

2023 - Current
2023 - Current
Visit the Archives
You'll find them under the history tab.

Tuesday 1-4pm
Wednesday 10:30am-noon
Thursday 1-4pm
Saturday: 11am-1pm
& by appointment
707-409-6811

450 Alger St. Fort Bragg CA 95437 707-409-6811