Featured images highlighting the Redware Sgraffito and Weaving workshops.
Explore 18th– and 19th-Century Arts in New Grist Miller’s House Workshop Series
First Programs at Historic Building to Focus on Sgraffito, Weaving and Woodworking
BETHLEHEM, PA— Eighteenth- and 19th-century crafts and trades will come to life in a series of hands-on workshops presented by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) at the 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House in Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter. The workshops, the first programming offered in the newly-restored building, will focus on art forms such as weaving, block printing and sgraffito.
The Grist Miller’s House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, serves as the entry point and interpretive stop for visitors exploring Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter (CIQ). In the 1750s, the site was home to approximately 35 crafts, trades and industries, making the CIQ the first industrial center in the nation.
The 2025 Grist Miller’s House Workshop Series includes:
Weaving
with Florence Wagner
Saturday, Aug. 23, 10 a.m.
Cost: $65; $55 for HBMS Members
Learn about the evolution of the weaving industry throughout Bethlehem’s history and the traditional colonial techniques favored by 18th-century Moravians. Using a hand-held loom, participants will create and design their own mini tapestry they can take home. The workshop is taught by Florence Wagner, who specializes in weaving and textiles. Wagner is currently earning their bachelor’s degree in studio arts, with a minor in anthropology and art history, from Kutztown University.
Block Printing
with Victoria Beck
Sunday, Sept. 7,10 a.m.
Cost: $95; $85 for HBMS Members
Discover the art of printmaking in this dynamic workshop taught by artist and InkHound Press founder Victoria Beck. In this workshop, Beck guides participants through the block printing process including its use in books, newspapers and artwork. Students will take home their block and prints they create.
Wood Carving
with Michael Brolly
Saturday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m.
Cost: $100; $90 for HBMS Members
Taught by woodturning artist Michael Brolly, this workshop for all skill levels is designed to explore what makes wood carving an engaging and fun hobby. Participants will choose between carving a gnome or a bird while learning wood carving basics including drawing, carving, painting and staining.
Redware Sgraffito
with Denise Wilz
Saturday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m.
Cost: $125; $115 for HBMS Members
Step back in time with the Redware Sgraffito Workshop taught by Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen member Denise Wilz. This course focuses on the technique used by 18th– and 19th-century Pennsylvania German potters to make expressive designs for folk art. Students will draw and scratch a design on a redware plate and can choose a traditional Pennsylvania German design or create their own. A master artisan, Wilz is included in the Directory of Traditional American Crafts, and her book “Pennsylvania Redware,” was featured in the March/April 2008 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.
The Grist Miller’s House Workshop Series is funded in part through the Hotel Tax Grant Program through the County of Northampton Department of Community & Economic Development. For more information on any of the workshops, please contact HBMS Colonial Industrial Quarter Site Manager Jackie Armao at jarmao@historicbethlehem.org.
ABOUT HISTORIC BETHLEHEM MUSEUMS & SITES
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) is a nonprofit institution that brings to life three centuries of American history. HBMS tells the story of a small town of great influence, home to some of our nation’s earliest settlers, America’s first municipal water pumping system, and one of the world’s greatest industrial companies. HBMS is located in eastern Pennsylvania, only a one-hour drive north of Philadelphia and two hours west of New York City. The nonprofit is a partner in Moravian Church Settlements-Bethlehem, the United States’ 26th World Heritage site; an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution; and part of Historic Moravian Bethlehem, which is a National Historic Landmark District. For more information, visit historicbethlehem.org.
Information provided to TVL by:
Mark Demko
