We’re excited to offer a series of woodworking workshops in collaboration with Ryan Prochaska and Woodcraft of Iowa City in August 2025. These workshops are offered without registration or material fees through the generosity of Woodcraft of Iowa City and funding from the City of Iowa City’s 2025 Climate Action Grant.
Workshop attendees can expect to learn about wood, wood joinery, and window installation and repair in this three-part workshop series. No previous woodworking experience required, all folks along the spectrum from beginner to expert are invited to participate.
Read on to learn more, and register your interest to join us for one or all three - we encourage you to act now, as space is limited!
Wood Materials, August 9th 12:30-4:30p at the Woodcraft Classroom
with: Ryan Prochaska, Hunter Menken, and Hannah Givler
Learn about the qualities of wood, the material selection process, and how to prepare wood for square joinery.Window Joinery and Assembly, August 23rd 12:30-4:30p at the Woodcraft Classroom
with: Ryan Prochaska, Hunter Menken, and Hannah Givler
Learn about cutting wood to length, and creating sturdy joints in a wooden storm window, with hands on cutting and assembly opportunities.Window Installation and Long-term Care, August 30th (10a-1p) and 31st (1-4p) at PS1’s Iowa City Press Co-Op
with: Ryan Prochaska and Hannah Givler
Learn how to assemble and install wooden storm windows and screens on site at the west entrance to the Press Co-op building at 225 N. Gilbert. Instruction includes finishing and long term maintenance for outdoor painted wood surfaces and windows.
Register your interest in one or all three workshops here!
About the Instructors:
Ryan Prochaska brings over 20 years of experience in historic preservation, traditional building crafts, and preservation education. With long time roots in Iowa City, Ryan has also worked with the National Park Service, led community college programs in preservation and design, and consulted on major restoration projects across the country
He has served on the boards of Preservation Iowa and the Iowa City Friends of Historic Preservation, and continues to support local efforts to preserve and restore Iowa’s historic places.
Hunter Menken oversees the workshop classroom and programming at Woodcraft of Iowa City. Hunter is an experienced woodworker with a focus on hand tools, furniture, joinery, and the traditions and values of the esteemed Krenov School in Fort Bragg, California, where he studied in 2023-24 and maintains connection to this day.
In addition to his active woodworking and teaching practice, Hunter also has a background in the performing arts, has pursued projects in film and on the stage in LA and NYC as well as the University of Iowa and Iowa City community theaters, including with projects in the early days at Public Space One.
Hannah Givler has over a decade of experience teaching, developing curriculum and infrastructure for wood and metal instructional shops in higher-ed and community spaces including UChicago, APL’s Design Apprenticeship Program, UIowa, and Project Fielding.
Hannah’s creative research focuses on vernacular architecture, natural building, and sustainable woodworking and upcycling practices informed by a material studies lens. This research and background coalesce to support responsibilities to historic preservation projects, an adaptive reuse approach to building improvements, and facilitating exhibitions with the Gallery Team at Public Space One.
