Welcome!

This year's cover comes to us from Clearing watercolor instructor and student, Chris Sommerfelt. Her beautiful rendition of Jens Jensen's cliffhouse at dusk radiates a sense of warmth and coziness.

Dear Friends,

It's a pleasure to show you The Clearing's 2008 catalog. With such a variety of classes, including 15 new ones, there's sure to be something that's just right for you.

As wonderful as the classes are, they're just part of the "package" when you come to The Clearing. There's much more. The setting is beautiful--in the woods, on the water, in stone and log buildings, with a picture postcard view of the sun setting over the bay. The history is rich--Jens Jensen's long-time dream, and struggle, to establish a "school of the soil" where people could get back in touch with the native landscape. The food and service are top-notch--family-style meals prepared and served by people who want to make you feel welcome and comfortable. The people are great--friendships made at The Clearing often last a lifetime.

If you've been to The Clearing before, you know all of this. If you haven't, I hope this is the year you find out for yourself. You'll be glad you did!

All the best,

Michael J. Schneider
Executive Director

Registration Information

Admission Policy

Students must be at least 18 years old to attend classes at The Clearing. All students are welcome at The Clearing regardless of race, sex, religion, nationality or ethnic origin.

How to Register

Registration for classes held between April 25 and August 2 begins Thursday, February 21 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time.

Registration for classes held between August 3 and October 26 begins Thursday, February 28 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time.

Friends of The Clearing Life Members may register for all Summer Program classes beginning Tuesday, February 19 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time.

Class sizes are limited. Early registration will help ensure that you get the class or classes you want. You may register for classes by mail, fax, the Internet or phone. Internet registrations are not available on February 19, 20, 21 or 28. A minimum $200 deposit is required.

Mail: Mail: Complete the registration form and mail to The Clearing, P.O. Box 65, Ellison Bay, WI 54210.
Fax: Complete and fax the registration form to The Clearing at 920-854-9751. Include your Visa or MasterCard number.
Internet: Registration forms and secure on-line registration are available on The Clearing's web site at: www.theclearing.org. Internet registrations will not be available on the following dates: February 19th, 20th, 21st, & 28th. When internet registration is available, a link at the bottom of the Class Description page will be available to access the on-line forms.
Phone: Call The Clearing at 920-854-4088 or toll free at 877-854-3225. Have your Visa or MasterCard number available.

Deposit

A minimum $200 deposit is required'when registering for four and five-day classes. The balance is due no later than three weeks before the class begins. Full payment is required when registering for the Wine and Food Weekend and the Friends of The Clearing weekends.

Fees and Pricing

Information on fees and pricing is listed at the end of each class description. These rates are per person and include tuition, lodging, meals and sales tax. Sales tax is on the meals only. Some classes require an additional materials and/or shop fee. These are noted at the end of the class descriptions.

Shop Fees

Classes held in the Workshop building that use The Clearing's power tools and hand tools are assessed a shop fee of $10 for a week-long class (The fee is less for one and two-day classes.) Shop fees help defray the cost of maintaining tools and equipment, including replacing saw blades (table saw, band saw, miter saw and scroll saw), other machine parts, hand tools and various supplies and materials.

Gratuities

Gratuities (tips) for the dining room wait staff are not included in your registration fee. When tipping the wait staff, it is helpful to know the meal portion of the registration fee. They are as follows: $195 for five-day classes and $175 for four-day classes.

Early Arrival

Students nave the option to check-in on Saturday rather than Sunday. The price for the extra night is $35 per person ($30 for Friends of The Clearing members). Meals are not included. Students, especially first-time students who check-in on Saturday, are strongly encouraged to arrive between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. A Clearing staff member will be in the Lodge during that time. (The Clearing cannot guarantee that all rooms will be ready before 2:00 p.m.) Those checking in after 4:00 p.m. will find written instructions on the front door of the Lodge directing them to their room.

Personal Retreat/Independent Study

If you don't see any classes that interest you, make up your own class and set your own schedule! Students interested in "doing their own thing" for a week may register for personal retreat or independent study.

If your schedule is flexible, and you are able to enroll for a week of independent study with one week's notice, you may sign up on our standby waiting list and deduct $150 from the registration fee. Please check with The Clearing office to confirm your selected week. If you need space for a special project, please let us know when you register.

Commuters

Reservation priority is given to students who stay at The Clearing (resident students). Jens Jensen believed that, in order to gain the greatest benefit from the experience, students and instructors should "live" at The Clearing. The Clearing holds to this belief today. However, in order to accommodate Door County residents, and to meet the needs of a broader cross section of Clearing students, one commuter student registration is accepted for each class, beginning on the registration "start dates" (see registration form). As classes fill, those wishing to register as commuter students are strongly encouraged to have their names placed on the waiting list for their chosen class. Many times, as a given class approaches, space becomes available for more commuter students.

The commuter student registration fee includes class tuition, supper on Sunday, all noon meals/supper on friday, and sales tax. Sales tax is on the meals only. Commuters are invited to all other meals. These are billed on a per-meal basis at the end of the week. Gratuities are not included.

Friends of The Clearing Life Members

Friends of The Clearing Life Members have an option to register early for all classes, beginning Tuesday, February 19 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time.

Food Policy

The Clearing's kitchen staff does its best to accommodate individuals with dietary requirements, such as those dictated by food allergies, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. But the nature of preparing and serving family-style meals makes it very difficult for the kitchen staff to accommodate requests for separate meals or entrees based on food preferences, including requests for vegetarian meals and entrees. The Clearing staff believes that there is enough "choice" at all meals that one can skip a particular dish and still have a full meal. The Clearing can only accommodate requests for separate meals or entrees based on a medical requirement. We do not grant requests that are based on food preferences.

Cancellation Policy

Class registrants who cancel their four or five-day class registration more than 30 days in advance of their arrival date will receive a refund for the amount paid, minus a $35 per- person processing fee. Those cancelling 4 to 30 days before the class start date will receive a refund for the amount paid, minus the $200 deposit. Commuter registrants cancelling 4 to 30 days before the class start date will receive a refund for the amount paid, minus $100. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations made fewer than four days before a class begins. No refunds will be issued for students leaving their class early.

Wine and Food Weekend registrants who cancel their registration more than 30 days in advance of their arrival date will receive a refund for the amount paid, minus a $35 per- person processing fee. Those cancelling 4 to 30 days before their arrival date will receive a refund for the amount paid, minus $100. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations made fewer than four days before the Wine and Food Weekend.

Other Refunds and Discounts

Class Cancellation: If The Clearing cancels a class, you will have the option of receiving a full refund or registering for another class at a discount. This discount is offered as compensation for any inconvenience the cancellation may have caused. The discount offer remains in effect for all Summer Program classes through 2009 and is applied according to the following schedule:

5-Day Class: $150 discount
4-Day Class: $125 discount

Accessibility

Although every reasonable effort has been made or is being made to make The Clearing's buildings and grounds accessible for students with physical disabilities, some students may find our campus difficult to negotiate. (Note that The Clearing's dining room is on the second floor of the Lodge.) Please call The Clearing to discuss any concerns you have regarding accessibility.

Jens Jensen Center Hours

8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
Additional bookstore summer hours (mid-May through mid-October) noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays

Campus Visiting Hours

For many years, The Clearing has had a "closed campus" policy while resident classes are in session. This means that the area west of the main road through The Clearing property - the area where the old buildings are located (the Lodge, Schoolhouse, Workshop and cabins) - is closed to visitors, including those participating in one and two-day workshops at The Clearing, from Monday through Friday. This closed campus policy is strictly enforced in order to ensure the privacy of resident students and instructors and to enhance the retreat aspect of The Clearing experience.

From May to October, The Clearing campus is open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4:00 p.m. A member of The Clearing staff will be in the Lodge, during this time, to answer questions.

Amenities

The following amenities are available to you during your stay at The Clearing:

The Schoolhouse houses the majority of Clearing summer classes. Built in 1938, this stone and timber building contains two air-conditioned classrooms. A small kitchenette includes a hot beverage counter, refrigerator and phone.

The Main Lodge, built in 1942, is the hub of activity during the summer. Combined dining room, living room and library spaces offer comfortable nooks for relaxation and exceptional water views of Ellison Bay. The Lodge also contains an ice machine, hot beverage counter and phone. Students may also enjoy fresh fruit, morning coffee and tea in the Lodge.

The Workshop provides classroom space for woodworking, metals, glass, clay and paper arts classes. The Workshop contains woodworking tools and equipment and a kitchenette.

The Jens Jensen Center serves as The Clearing's visitor center, office, bookstore and gift shop.

The Root cellar cabin is located above The Clearing's historic root cellar, which was built by Jensen and two neighbor boys in 1945. The Root Cellar Cabin contains a refrigerator with bottled water and soda for purchase. The cabin also contains a computer work station for printing writing assignments. (There is no Internet access.)

Accommodations

There are three lodging options at The Clearing: dormitory rooms, two-person rooms and single-person rooms.

Dormitory rooms contain three or five twin beds and a shared bath. (There is one bath in the three-bed dorm and two baths in the five-bed dorm.)

Two-person rooms contain two twin beds and a private bath.

Single-person rooms contain two twin beds and a private bath, but are reserved for one person. The availability of single rooms is limited. They are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

All guest rooms at The Clearing contain linens (sheets, blankets, pillows, bath towels, face cloths and extra blankets), desks and wardrobes, broom & dust pan, ice bucket, space heater and fan.

One of The Clearing's goals is to help people get away from the "noise" of the modern world for the duration of their stay. To this end, rooms do not include televisions, radios or telephones. Also, they do not include refrigerators or microwaves and are not air-conditioned, although fans are provided and most rooms have a cross breeze.

Cell phones should be turned off while at The Clearing unless calling out. Laptop computers, radios and televisions are not allowed in the Lodge, although laptops are used by many of the students taking writing classes.

Smoking is not allowed in any of The Clearing's buildings.

Preview of 2008 Clearing Workshops

In addition to week-long classes, The Clearing offers a series of one, two and three-day workshops. They provide an opportunity to take a Clearing class for those who cannot come for an entire week, or for those who want a "taste" of The Clearing before deciding to take a week-long class. All workshops include a catered lunch each day.

They will be listed in a separate class schedule that will be mailed in early spring. A sampling of workshops will be posted on The Clearing's Web site in the near future, with a full listing to appear in early spring.

A Typical Week at The Clearing

Time	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
6:30			Morning Walk	Morning Walk
7:30		Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
8:30 to 12:00		Class Time	Class Time	Class Time	Class Time	Class Time	9:00 Check Out
12:00		Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
1:30 to 4:30	1:00 to 4:00 Check In	Class Time	Class Time	Class Time	Free Afternoon	Class Time
6:00	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper "On Your Own"	Supper
7:30	Orientation & Class Meeting	Optional Activities	Optional Activities	Optional Activities	Optional Activities	Show and Tell