''It's the coolest shabby chic look you've ever seen," said Marechaux, a silversmith who doubles as the school's executive director. ''It's the most fun class."
Upstairs, watercolor artist Peter Huntoon instructed students in painting winter landscapes. About seven sat around his easel, so engrossed in their brush strokes that not a single head turned when a visitor wandered in.
According to Marechaux, quilting is the most popular course of all, whether the introductory class or the special five-day workshop, the ''quilter's finishing school," she said jokingly. It is also one of her favorites. ''All we do is laugh."
The school dates to 1947, making it the oldest residential arts institution in the state. It is operated by the nonprofit Society of Vermont Craftsmen Inc., and occupies a converted farm of immaculate white buildings spread over a broad field. The centerpiece is the farmhouse, built in 1784 by Jesse Fletcher, a settler who expanded the place to accommodate his 15 children. Today, it accommodates learners in dormitories, a lounge, and a dining hall.
Some instructors, like wood-carver Wayne Barton, get students so absorbed in their work that they can't put it down. Last year, classmates stayed up till 2 or 3 in the morning creating Shaker boxes, which is not atypical, Marechaux said.
''They're in their element," she said. ''They're nurturing their artistic souls."
The school catalog lists more than 200 classes and a group of instructors that reads like a telephone book. Later this month, they will teach bookmaking and creating garden stakes and wind chimes from stained glass. May courses include glazing and distressing furniture, weaving necklaces, and painting early-American wall murals in the Rufus Porter style, like the spectacular one spanning three walls in one of the school's classrooms.
During peak season, June 18 to mid-September, room and board is available on the premises. Those attending classes in spring and winter stay at local inns and spend the day in class. One bed-and-breakfast, The Inn at Water's Edge, is an 11-room Victorian on Echo Lake with a hot tub, whirlpool baths, fireplaces, an English pub, and a library. Nearby Ludlow has shops and restaurants.
Those more inclined to just watch should stop by on Memorial Day weekend, when craftsmen around the state open their doors for the annual Open Studio Weekend. Nineteen of the school's instructors will demonstrate their crafts Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For a free craft studio map, go to www.vermontcrafts.com or call 802-223-3380.
Diane Foulds is a freelance writer in Vermont.
