Introduction to Frame Building

Class Description: In this 5-week intro level woodshop course, students will learn the essential woodshop skills & tool confidence to build their very own custom hardwood frames! We will start off by diving into the anatomy of gallery frames as well as proper shop safety & tool instruction. Each frame made is unique to the art it holds! Students will bring a piece of their own flat art work to be framed [maximum size 18”x 24”] This course will guide you through the process of planning your internal frame layers & envisioning the profile of frame stock you will create to house those layers & accentuate your art! We will round out the course by affixing hardware & installing our new frames for documentation.

Power tool instruction will cover basic use of the jointer, planer, tablesaw, mitersaw, router table, sanders & drills. Additionally we will touch on how to use a few basic hand tools: pull saw, mallet, chisels & point driver. These tools will be essential in learning the processes of: milling, cutting inlays, creating miter joints, using splines, finishing wood & cutting glazing.

You will take away a gallery ready framed artwork & the skills to continue making more of your own!

Price: $349

Material Fee: $89

Days: Saturdays, Feb 14- March 14, 2026

Time: 1pm-5pm

Location: East Building, Central Shop. CAMPUS MAP

Instructor: Megan Pace is a process-driven sculptor inspired by the many facets of the individual & how these facets, when embodied, provide space for reflection & growth. She earned her BFA in Sculpture from Kennesaw State University School of Art and Design in Georgia as the first student in their Master Craftsman Program. Her practice spans metal fabrication, foundry, woodworking, ceramics, and experimental media. After moving to Kansas City, she co-founded We Open Shop, a local nonprofit that provided a supportive environment where women, transgender, and non-binary makers could grow creatively and professionally through accessible wood and metalworking education. Megan brings the same ethos to her teaching at KCAI, where she has taught Materials & Processes in Sculpture and currently serves as an Instructional Assistant in the Central Shop, meeting students where they're at, fostering skills, confidence, and creative growth.

Supplies: The material fee is required for this class, this covers the cost of lumber, acrylic, hardware and other required supplies.

Parking: Parking is available in any of the (NON-RESERVED) KCAI parking lot spaces across campus. RESERVED spaces are available after 5pm on the weekdays and all day on the weekends. There is also available street parking surrounding KCAI campus. 

Refund: Registered participants can receive refunds to the original payment method (Studio Fee minus Humanitix Fee) up to 14 days before the first class.