named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Apprenticeship Program
Residential training for individuals seeking hands-on learning in traditional crafts and community living, guided by master artisans.
Craft Weekend
Annual four-day immersive event offering hands-on craft workshops in pottery, woodworking, writing, theater, and more, with meals, open studios, and outdoor activities.
East Hill Gallery
On-site gallery showcasing and selling handcrafted works by Guild artisans, open to the public with seasonal and holiday hours.
Holiday Studio Sale
Annual event where visitors can purchase handmade crafts such as pottery, weaving, and woodworking directly from Guild artisans and meet the makers.
Workshops and Classes
Short-term, skill-based courses in traditional crafts including Navajo weaving, broom making, mushroom dyeing, pottery, and block printing, taught by experienced artists.
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Community Art Education Workshops 2 activities
- Hosting public craft workshops and immersive educational programsThe Guild offers hands-on workshops and multi-day immersive classes in traditional crafts such as pottery, weaving, woodturning, broom making, block printing, seed saving, and bud grafting. The annual four-day Craft Weekend provides approximately 18 hours of instruction, shared meals using local ingredients, and community-building activities, with options for work-study and family participation.
- Offering private instruction in craftsThe Guild offers private lessons in pottery (hand-building and wheel throwing) and woodturning for all ages and skill levels, available by appointment. Fees cover materials and firing costs.
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Volunteer Mobilization for Community Improvement 1 activity
- Engaging in community-based shared laborMembers participate in shared community tasks including cooking, cleaning, gardening, animal care, and building maintenance, supporting the operational and communal life of the Guild.
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Community Space Provision 1 activity
- Operating a retreat center for group eventsThe Guild’s Retreat Center rents campus facilities for wellness retreats, artist workshops, meetings, and family reunions, providing a rural setting with access to natural and artistic resources.
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Community-Based Urban Agriculture 1 activity
- Practicing and teaching sustainable agriculture and orchard managementThe Guild maintains organic, sustainable, and regenerative gardens, orchards, and a vineyard on its 350-acre farm, growing vegetables, herbs, flowers, apples, peaches, plums, and grapes. It uses composting, crop rotation, and non-chemical pest management, and offers Pick-Your-Own fruit sales and educational workshops on practices like bud grafting.
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Artist Marketplace Operations 1 activity
- Producing and selling artisan craftsThe Guild produces functional and decorative crafts including pottery (stoneware, porcelain, earthenware), handwoven textiles (blankets, rugs, tapestries), woodwork, natural fiber clothing, folk toys, and botanical notecards. These items are sold through the East Hill Gallery, Etsy, regional craft fairs (e.g., Western NY Pottery Festival), and seasonal events like Open House and Apple Fest.
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
- Providing artist residencies, apprenticeships, and internshipsThe Guild offers seasonal residencies, apprenticeships, and internships in pottery, woodworking, and other crafts. Programs include training in clay preparation, wheel throwing, glaze mixing, kiln operations, hand tool woodworking, and organic farming. Resident artists receive studio space, materials, and kiln access in exchange for contributing 15 hours per week to production or support work.
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Youth and Young Adult Spiritual Engagement 1 activity
- Studying and practicing Gurdjieff spiritual teachingsThe Guild supports the study of G. I. Gurdjieff’s writings, sacred dances, and music as part of its community life, integrating spiritual practice with artistic and manual work.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Generating renewable energy for artistic and educational useA solar array installed on the campus powers artistic and educational activities, including electric pottery kilns and woodshop machinery, supported by a 2023 grant from the NY State Council on the Arts.
- Operating a nonprofit artist community and craft education centerRochester Folk Art Guild operates a 350-acre campus in Middlesex, NY, functioning as a nonprofit artist community and craft education center with studios in pottery, woodworking, weaving, and natural fiber clothing. The campus includes gardens, orchards, a vineyard, and program spaces such as a meditation hall and gallery, supporting both resident artists and public engagement.
- Operating a public gallery and hosting cultural eventsThe East Hill Gallery showcases and sells handmade crafts by Guild artists. The Guild also hosts public cultural events including the free "Lecture on the Lawn" summer series (May–October), an annual Open House and Apple Festival with craft demonstrations and live music, and seasonal sales such as the Holiday Open Studio.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$344K
Contributions & grants$177K52%
Program service revenue$44K13%
Investment income$24K7%
Other revenue$99K
expenses
Total expenses$303K
Program expenses90%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$73K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$1.47M
Cash$139K
Investments$734K
Liabilities$399K
Net assets$1.07M
Liquid reserves34.5 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -19.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 11
- Colleen Runner — President
- Cordelia Machanoff — Director
- David Barnet — Director
- Howard Blair — Director
- Kymberly Finkle — Director
- Michael Hunter — Director
- Nicole Hummel — Director
- Paul Schliffer — Treasurer
- Samuel Radford — Director
- Sara Jedd-Burnett — Director
- William Glasner — Director
relationships · 21
Who they work with
- Beth Barnet Partner — Registrar who manages Craft Weekend registration and inquiries.
- Cordelia Machanoff Partner — Garden apprentice and co-manager of the vegetable gardens, trained since childhood at the Guild.
- Cornell Cooperative Extension Partner — Collaborates on hosting the Bud Grafting Workshop
- David Barnet Partner — Orchard caretaker for over forty years and provider of seasonal workshops in tree fruit management.
- East Hill Gallery Partner — Retail partner where Folk Art Guild Pottery is sold.
- East Hill Gallery Partner — Sells Natural Fiber Studio items.
- Etsy Partner — Online marketplace where Folk Art Guild Pottery is sold.
- Etsy Partner — Partners with Etsy to offer select handmade work from Guild artists through online Etsy shops.
- FolkArtWood Partner — Etsy store used to sell woodshop craftwork.
- French Compagnons du Devoir Partner — Recognized a blacksmith trained at the Guild by welcoming them into the restoration of the Statue of Liberty.
- G.I. Gurdjieff Network — Offers voluntary study of the Gurdjieff teaching as part of community life; the Guild community includes individuals engaged in this inner search.
- Michael Hunter Partner — Longtime manager of the vegetable gardens at the Guild's farm.
- Museo Vetro Murano Network — Holds work by a Guild-trained glassblower in its permanent collection.
- NY State Council on the Arts Government — Provided a 2023 grant to support the installation of a solar array on campus.
- Natural Fiber Studio Partner — Shares the weaving studio space with the Natural Fiber Studio.
- New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Supported the Lecture on the Lawn series.
- Rochester Area Community Foundation Funder — Supported the Lecture on the Lawn series.
- Shake on the Lake Partner — Presented a performance of Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors as part of the Lecture on the Lawn series.
- The Clothesline Art Festival Partner — Regional craft fair where the Guild participates and sells pottery.
- The Corning Museum of Glass Network — Holds work by a Guild-trained glassblower in its permanent collection.
- Western NY Pottery Festival Partner — Regional pottery festival where the Guild exhibits and sells work.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Engaged Folk Art Education 305 orgsmethodology: community-engaged-programmingBy offering intergenerational, accessible, and artist-led programming that includes performances, talks, and workshops, the Guild strengthens community bonds and cultural continuity, because shared creative experiences across ages and backgrounds foster inclusive, resilient creative communities.shared approach: Art-Integrated Community Engagement →
- Residential Craft Community as Transformative Environment 305 orgsmethodology: community-integrated apprenticeshipBy living and working together in a residential artist community, individuals develop skill, mutual understanding, and personal growth through shared labor and communal responsibility, because sustained immersion in craft and community creates conditions for continuous learning and self-examination.shared approach: Art-Integrated Community Engagement →
- Craft as Cultural and Spiritual Practicemethodology: craft-as-spiritual-practiceBy treating craft as a sacred, nature-connected, and culturally rooted practice, the Guild deepens engagement with tradition and meaning, because integrating reverence, mindfulness, and cultural immersion into making transforms functional objects into vessels of purpose and connection.
- Immersive, Practice-Based Pedagogymethodology: immersive_learningBy using hands-on, repetitive, and immersive workshops that combine skill-building with communal living and nature, the Guild enhances creative development and community connection, because deep learning in craft emerges through sustained doing rather than passive instruction.
- Learning Through Embodied Craft Practicemethodology: embodied_learningBy integrating intellectual, emotional, and physical engagement in disciplined craftwork, the Guild fosters personal transformation, attention, and self-awareness, because embodied practice deepens learning and inner development beyond theoretical instruction alone.