Welcome to Pioneer Craft House
If you’re looking for a class in painting or pottery, knitting, embroidery, sewing, crocheting or weaving, bookbinding or bobbin lace, silversmithing or mosaics, or creating a Native American flute out of exotic wood, then we hope you’ll find this site easy to use. Just scan the list of offerings and click on the titles that interest you. New courses are added all the time, as we acquire new instructors or reschedule sessions.
IT'S EASY TO ENROLL ONLINE WITH PAYPAL.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CLASSES OR HOW TO PAY, CALL THE INSTRUCTOR FOR THE CLASS YOU'RE INTERESTED IN. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION IS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH CLASS DESCRIPTION.
Besides offering over 40 art and crafts classes, we've had a busy season with a renovated Cottage and our first-ever art exhibit: "Recession Rags: A Magic Carpet Ride." Over 45 rag rugs and other artful objects, made by our weavers from a variety of materials in a variety of patterns and colors, were showcased.
Our Gift Gallery is open every Saturday from 10:00am-3:00pm. It represents the best work of our instructors, students, and refugee students. A great shop to buy original, handmade items for the people you love. We've got hand-dyed silk scarves for Mother's Day, hand-carved canes for Father's Day, French rolling pins made out of "bodark" wood for unusual wedding gifts, and sweaters for the new baby. PayPal available.
About Pioneer Craft House
We celebrated our 60th anniversary at the corner of 500 E and 3300 S in 2010! The original 1947 Craft House, in celebration of Utah's centennial, began as a reproduction pioneer cabin in Auberbach’s Department Store, where people of all ages were re-introduced to skills practiced by early settlers. Our present location was the home of the Scott family. The biggest building was built in 1890 as an elementary school -- between it, the classes held here by Granite High School, and PCH, it’s the oldest continually operating school in the state.
During the last half-century, skills both traditional and modern have been taught to old and young -- in our heyday of the `60s and `70s, an average of 200 people were on campus every day! We also became famous for an international puppet collection, puppetry classes, and puppet plays in our own Puppet Theater and at libraries around the city. We’re in the process of assessing and cataloging that collection so that we can put these rare pieces on display in the years ahead.
We are proud to boast the only floor-loom weaving studio in the state, exceptional jewelry-making facilities, a pottery studio where folks love to hang out, and a resident flute-maker whose flutes were played in the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics. We also have a recently renovated greenhouse and a demonstration garden with common plants used to make fiber dyes. Arborists have cleared out aging trees to showcase others that are over 100 years old.
Yes, a valuable and beloved cultural institution is in the throes of a revival. Browse through these pages to see how you can be part of this exciting endeavor.
Pioneer Craft House is a non-profit organization under the auspices of South Salt Lake City’s Department of Parks and Recreation, Salt Lake County, and ZAP. It is not church-owned.