History
Bien Hecho Academy was founded in 2014 by John Randall, the Owner and Founder of custom woodworking & furniture design shop Bien Hecho, in collaboration with Tim Dowse, an established woodworking instructor who earned his MFA in sculpture at Rutgers University.
Bien Hecho Academy offers a series of woodworking courses that not only provide a solid education in the fundamentals of woodworking, but insight into the complete process of creating fine furniture from tree all the way to the last coat of finish. In Spanish “bien hecho” means well-done or well-made, and that is the mantra of both the Bien Hecho shop and our Academy.
Located in the heart of the bustling Brooklyn Navy Yard near DUMBO and downtown Brooklyn, Bien Hecho Academy shares space with Bien Hecho, giving students access to a wide variety of modern equipment, tried and true machinery, and the most precise hand tools. All materials, tools, safety equipment and supplies are provided to students for use during classes, as part of the course fee.
Instructors
ANGIE YANG
Owner/Co-Founder/Educator, Bien Hecho Academy
Angie Yang has been a part of Bien Hecho Academy since 2014 working alongside with her husband, John Randall. Angie and John share their common love and appreciation of woodworking with the community. After spending almost a decade growing the Academy, Angie is transitioning the company into a Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise.
John Randall
Founder/Educator, Bien Hecho Academy
Owner/Founder, Bien Hecho
John Randall founded Bien Hecho in 2009 as a full-service woodworking shop that makes furniture, millwork, cabinetry, and custom carpentry, specializing in reclaimed and sustainably-sourced wood. John takes pride in craftsmanship and founded Bien Hecho Academy in 2014 to share his woodworking expertise with students of all ages and backgrounds.
William Worm
Designer/Craftsman/Educator
William is a designer and maker from Oakland, CA currently living in Brooklyn, NY. He received a BA in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design in 2016. He has been tinkering in a woodshop since he was 10 and has a wide variety of professional experience ranging from fine art fabrication to high volume production furniture. He spends his free time learning how to make new things, fly fishing or riding one of his handmade bikes.
Eva Sturm-Gross
Artist/Woodworker
Eva Sturm-Gross is an artist and woodworker originally from Vermont. She graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in studio art and religion. She has studied and worked at multiple craft schools around the country and her prints and sculptures have been exhibited nationally. She loves all things wood and trees but is at heart devoted to whittling. Eva is interested in art as a form of creative exegesis by which to reinterpret traditional texts.
Lisa Nguyen
Woodworker/Maker
Lisa Nguyen holds a BFA from San Diego State University and is primarily a woodworker. She recently completed a two year fellowship at Penland School of Craft in Spruce Pine, NC working with wood while also exploring metals and textiles. Her wood work is influenced by Greek architecture and from her cat, Leo. Lisa uses Greek architecture as a foundation for furniture while taking Leo’s napping interest as the heart of her pieces. The idea of how two parties can both occupy a space while also enjoying each others company is central to her work.
andrew collins
Artist/Designer/Maker
Andrew is an artist and designer living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Coming from a small island off the southern coast of Rhode Island he holds a BFA from The Rhode Island School of Design. His interests are varied and diverse and his work focuses on the use of different materials. Working with wood for over 2 decades Andrew has utilized his interest in materiality to create and build a wide variety of projects and continues to focus on craftsmanship across mediums.