Finnish American Folk School release newsletter

The Finnish American Folk School has released its first newsletter, your first stop on all things FAFS! Established by the Finnish American Heritage Center and led by Phyllis Fredendall and Clare Zuraw, the Finnish American Folk School exists to ensure that Finnish-American folk traditions exist for centuries to come.

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After a period of quiet, the Finnish American Folk School (FAFS) is back and we’re excited to share our latest news with you. As some of you already know, the Folk School’s home is the Finnish American Heritage Center at Finlandia University. This summer, we welcomed Phyllis Fredendall as the new Folk School director. Phyllis is professor emerita of Fiber and Fashion Design at Finlandia University’s International School of Art and Design. From 1993 to 2020 she taught weaving, spinning, felt-making and off-loom structures, garment design, jacquard design, dyeing, printing, and design fundamentals. She has studied, taught, and exhibited her art work in Finland. The fiber studio in the Lily I. Jutila Center is now our second home and the site of many of our classes and workshops with Phyllis and other talented instructors.

In the new year, we’ll also be welcoming another staff member to the Folk School team. Thanks to generous support from the American Scandinavian Foundation, Clare Zuraw will begin as assistant director of the FAFS in January. Clare comes to this position with a background in music, fiber arts, and education and has spent time in Finland studying the jouhikko, a Finnish bowed lyre. In addition to teaching classes for the FAFS, Clare will be providing administrative support for our programs.

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