Fourth through eighth graders in Bigfork can learn the basics of woodworking with skilled Flathead Valley instructors during a new eight-week course coming to the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center.  

Through the new nonprofit WorkshopMT, students will learn how to properly use tools and safety equipment during the course, which encourages team building and critical thinking skills. 

It’s a highly anticipated collaboration, according to Bigfork Art and Cultural Center Executive Director Julie Bottum, who has been interested in having WorkshopMT host a class there since it started in 2024.  

WorkshopMT offers classes in the industrial arts of woodworking, metalworking and fabrication. These areas of focus go toward the organization’s overarching mission: building community and fostering creativity through access to new experiences, resources and skill sets, according to instructor and board president Luke Rumage. 

“It's great to learn how to build things ... But one thing that we have noticed and has been really, really inspiring through running these classes is watching these elementary school kids and middle school kids build resiliency and curiosity in in ways that I had not thought possible,” he said. 

Students will end up with 10 unique woodworking projects after the duration of the Friday after-school courses.  

The organization is also offering four monthly Saturday classes, starting in January and running through May. During the longer classes, which last around four hours each, students will learn how to make a footstool, bird house, bird feeder, squirrel feeder and a toolbox. 

During the eight-week course, students learn about a new tool and take home a new project after each session. The course starts with the basics, like measuring, getting familiar with safety materials, and using tools like combination squares and tape measures. 

Rumage said the nonprofit purchased a curriculum using a grant from the Town Pump Foundation. 

“The lesson plans that we have are really guidelines. Our goal is to make sure that the students walk away with a finished project, and that finished project  looks however they want it to look,” Rumage said.  

The nonprofit has been hosting classes in various spaces throughout the region — recently bolstered by a grant from the Detwiler Foundation. In its first year, the organization focused on teaching classes for children and teens, with the exception of a pilot program in coordination with Accelerate Montana, which was set up to get adults introduced to the trades.  

“Out of those seven students, four of them went directly to a construction company after that class. And then we had an adult version of our kids programs, where we had four women come out and learn how to build a toolbox, and then through our donors, we were able to stock that toolbox for them,” Rumage said. 

THE NONPROFIT is Rumage’s brainchild. An architect by trade, he wanted to create a place where people who are interested can come foster those skills and find community — like he had as a child.  

He runs WorkshopMT with instructors Tim Harmon and James Lee, and pulls expertise from board members Chani Knight, who works for Montana Pediatrics, Jamie Quinn with the Bigfork Food Bank, retired financial analyst Julie Miller, and James Graham, who works with JobService Kalispell.  

He said it’s been fulfilling to watch students gain confidence during the classes. He remembers a child who was having trouble hitting a nail for fear of accidentally hitting his own hand. Harmon had the whole class rallying for him — but he only got over his fear when Rumage offered to hold the nail for him. 

“I held the nail for him and he had no problem hitting my thumb,” Rumage laughed. “But, to know that it's going to hurt for a little bit, but afterward you'll be OK. And watching him after just having the confidence to hit the nail and assemble the piece was really great.” 

Later in that eight-week session, Harmon said he heard from the student’s parent, who told him “from the moment we get out of this class to the moment that he gets this student gets home, he does not stop talking about Mr. Tim and woodworking.”  

Bottum said WorkshopMT’s mission fits right in with the goals at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center, which includes presenting opportunities for the community to engage in hands-on experiences. The center received material and financial support from Sliters Lumber and Building Supply, and Touris Plumbing, which will allow the organization to continue the classes throughout 2026.  

Rumage remembers reaching out to Bottum when he was starting WorkshopMT to get advice on how to get the nonprofit off the ground. 

“Julie has been a great help. And when we had the opportunity, we got a decent sized grant from the Detwiler Foundation to support underprivileged youth and be able to teach these classes at a reduced and free rate for most students. The first place I thought of was [the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center.] ... knowing Julie and what they put together here — this is a great place that we could go and support them and their students,” Rumage said.  

Bottum said she loved hearing Rumage’s ideas and was thrilled by what they had planned. Over the last two years, it’s been a joy to watch the organization become more established. 

“He's drawing in individuals that may be retired or work within the trades, who have become some of their volunteers. And since we started telling our community members we are doing this, there have been quite a few that said, ‘We would love to support this program with our skill set.’” Bottum said.  

The Bigfork Art and Cultural Center is offering classes for all ages in 2026, from adult drawing and jewelry making, to youth coding classes and programming for homeschooled children.  

The first class starts on Friday, Jan. 9 and runs from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Classes continue every Friday after school for eight weeks. More information, including a link to sign-up, can be found on the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center’s website at baccbigfork.org/ by clicking on the “classes/events” tab.  

Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or [email protected].

    Kids learn basic woodworking skills in courses with WorkshopMT, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching skills in woodworking, metalworking and fabrication. (photo courtesy of Luke Rumage.)