Utah Arts & Museums provides Folk Art Workshops each month at the Chase Home Museum.
What are these Folk Art Workshops?
A qualified, local teaching artist will lead a monthly Folk Art Workshop to create, design, or make a folk art craft. Subsidized by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums (UA&M), these workshops aim to share traditional arts and lifeways of Utah's cultural communities. This subsidized series provides Utahns with the interactive opportunity to learn about a wide array of visual folk arts through a hands-on experience. See photos from past workshops in our gallery.
Learn more about the UA&M Folk Arts Program or Chase Home Museum below. Folk Arts ProgramChase Home MuseumHOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN A WORKSHOP?
Registration will open approximately two weeks before a scheduled workshop. Space is limited. Sign up before we fill up!
These workshop events are intended for ages 6 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. There is a nominal $10 registration fee per attendee to cover the cost of materials. No experience necessary. Just bring your excitement and appreciation for the arts!
Register and learn more about each workshop below.Current WorkshopUpcoming Workshop2026 CalendarHawaiian Utility Knife (Niho ‘Oki)
KIMO WATANABE
Saturday, Sept. 5 at 2 p.m.
(120 minutes)
Lash a shark tooth to a wooden handle to build a practical, everyday tool.
Deeply rooted in Hawaiian cultural heritage, a niho ‘oki — literally translating to “cutting tooth” — is a traditional utility knife made by lashing a shark tooth securely to a carved wooden handle with natural cordage. Often used as a versatile everyday tool for commoners (makaʻāinana), it was practical for a wide range of tasks, including food preparation, hair cutting, wood carving, bark stripping, and self-defense.
In this hands-on workshop, you will construct your own working niho ‘oki while exploring Hawaiian tool design with Utah artist Kimo Watanabe. Discover how specific angles, materials, and shapes solved complex daily problems through an interactive showcase of authentic and replica pieces. Then, use files and sandpaper to fine-tune a pre-cut wooden handle, set a real shark tooth into place, and master traditional lashing techniques to complete your tool.
A musician, traditional folk artist, and Utah Artist Fellow, Kimo Watanabe dedicates much of his artistic practice to Hawaiian and Samoan carving arts. Mentored by revered master practitioners like Su‘a Sulu‘ape Malama ‘O Mataitoa Keone Nunes and ‘Olohe Lua Umi Kai, Kimo carries forward generations of technique, lineage, and deep cultural intent (kaona). For Kimo, his work is ultimately about honoring heritage and fostering meaningful human connection.
Please note: This event is suitable for ages 12 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult registrant.Registration
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FOLK ART WORKSHOPS GALLERY
This monthly workshop series provides opportunities to learn about the cultural communities throughout our state. Recognizing the popularity of these workshops, we encourage interested participants to register quickly due to limited capacity. We also invite you to explore our workshops virtually through the gallery below. Two excited workshop participants adorning their finished leis. A workshop participant practicing ink brush painting on scrap paper.Various objects used to make fairy furniture and creations. A young girl adds finishing touches on her fairy creation.Workshop participants creating fairy furniture and crafts using found objects.A workshop participant showing off his fairy creation.A workshop participant creating her own fairy furniture using found objects.Peering into the Fairy Furniture workshop at the Chase Home Museum.Workshop participants admiring a fairy house created by Debbie & Mike Schramer.Teaching artist Amy Riggs demonstrating techniques for crafting a dreamcatcher.Teaching artist Amy Riggs demonstrating techniques for crafting a dreamcatcher. Teaching artist Amy Riggs demonstrating techniques for crafting a dreamcatcher. Close-up of a fairy house created by Debbie & Mike Schramer.Close-up of a fairy house created by Debbie & Mike Schramer.Two workshop participants working together on their dreamcatcher.Workshop participants crafting dreamcatchers.Teaching artist Amy Riggs demonstrating techniques for crafting a dreamcatcher.Artist Rupali Munot demonstrates henna techniques to workshop participants.A workshop participant practices henna designs on paper.A workshop participant applies henna to her arm.Artist Rupali Munot applies henna to a participant’s arm.Workshop participants show off their henna designs at the Chase Home Museum.Workshop participants show off their henna designs on the Chase Home Museum porch.Artist Rupali Munot applies henna to a participant’s arm.Artist Rupali Munot applies henna to a participant’s arm.Two excited workshop participants adorning their finished leis. Lei workshop participants in front of the Chase Home Museum.A finished lei sits on the table.Teaching artist Kumu Pomokai with workshop participants and their leis.Workshop participants showing off their sugar skulls. A completed sugar skull with intricate black designs. A workshop participant decorating a sugar skull. Teaching artist Noemi Hernandez-Balcazar teaches workshop participants how to make sugar skulls from scratch. Teaching artist Noemi Hernandez-Balcazar teaches a sugar skull workshop at Chase Home Museum.Workshop participants decorating their sugar skulls with icing.Mexican paper flowers on a table.Mexican paper flowers on the mantel.A workshop participant secures the bottom of her paper flowers.A workshop participant fluffs petals on her paper flower craft. Teaching artist Frances Rogers Martinez teaches workshop participants how to create their petals in her paper flower workshop.Artist Manuel Padro explaining how the maracas are made.Artist Manuel Padro teaching workshop participants about Bomba music and maracas.A workshop participant shows off his decorated maracas.A table full of handmade maracas ready for decoration.Workshop participants decorating handmade maracas.Workshop participants decorating handmade maracas.Workshop participants decorating handmade maracas.A Bomba & Maracas Folk Art Workshop taught by artist Manuel Padro.Artist Manuel Padro teaching a Bomba & Maracas Workshop.Artist Irene Pruss showing workshop participants how to craft a charm doll.A workshop participant making a charm doll.Artist Dan Buhler teaches participants about making bows.Workshop participants stringing their wood bows.Artist Dan Buhler teaches participants about making bows.Artist Randel McGee teaches participants about paper-cutting. A workshop participant cutting her design in paper.Artist Randel McGee showing a participant paper-cutting techniques.Artist Crystal Begay showing a workshop participant how to make a mini-moccasin.Workshop participants adding beaded designs to their mini-moccasins.A workshop participant beads a design on her moccasin.Artist Ken Yamane shows a participant how to tend to her bonsai.A workshop participant works with artist Ken Yamane on her bonsai.Workshop participants gathered around bonsai artist Ken Yamane.Artist Ken Yamane helps a workshop participant with her bonsai.Workshop participants trim down their bonsai.Workshop participants learning about Mata Ortiz pottery.Artist Ana Brooks showing a workshop participant how to mold pottery by hand. Artist Ana Brooks teaching workshop participants about Mata Ortiz pottery.A workshop participant polishing her pottery.Back to top.
