Three days over the weekend, June 5-7, 2026 (Friday, Saturday 9:00am-4:00pm, Sunday 9:30 – 2:00pm)
PROVIDENCE, RI – Did you ever look at a piece of wood and wonder what wood it is? And why it looks the way it does? Were you ever confused about which wood it is? Is it mahogany or walnut? Am I looking at cherry or poplar? Is it a hardwood or a softwood?
Who is this for?
This three-day hands-on workshop at the exclusive Stanley Weiss Collection is taught by Randy S. Wilkinson and will answer all these questions and more. It is designed specifically for curators, collectors, antique dealers, appraisers, and conservators. The goal of this workshop is to familiarize the student with the physical properties of wood in order to recognize species specific cell structures. No experience is necessary.
What will you learn?
We will introduce basic wood anatomy, including grain, figure, fundamental differences between softwoods and hardwoods, and more. The student will learn to identify 19 common woods that are used in American decorative arts using a 10x loupe.
Stanley Weiss Center for the Study of American Classical Furniture
We will be conducting the workshop at the Weiss Center examining pieces in the Stanley Weiss Collection to identify wood once it is made into an object. Students will get the rare opportunity to see some of the great treasures this collection has to offer while learning to identify wood on site. A guided collections tour will augment the experience at no extra cost.
Prerequisites, fees and what’s included:
No experience is necessary. Class fee includes a hardwood sample kit, 10x loupe, book (Identifying Wood) and Friday lunch. Students, senior citizens, IWCS members, and prior Fallon & Wilkinson students are eligible for a 10% discount (use coupon code Student, Senior, or IWCS). Class size is limited to 15 students. This class will fill quickly, so sign up soon.
Please CLICK HERE to learn more and sign up for the workshop.
More about the workshop organizer can be seen at fallonwilkinson.com