Much of the curriculum at The Crucible focuses on artistic uses of industrial technology. This month, however, Alex Dilone and Felix Torres-Chaviano are using The Crucible’s facilities to prototype a product they’re looking to bring to market next year. The product is still in development and has been blurred in the photos for security’s sake.

Sarah Dabby talks with the two entrepreneurs to find out why they chose The Crucible as their startup factory floor.

Sarah Dabby: Let’s start with an introduction!

Alex Dilone: My name is Alex Dilone, and I’ve started a company that will be making tools for gaming and fitness. Here at The Crucible, Felix Torres-Chaviano and I are building out some of our project ideas and prototypes for the company.

Felix Torres-Chaviano: My name is Felix, and I work as a wood carver at The Crucible. I’m making the prototypes for Alex.

SD: How did you guys meet, and how long have you been working together? 

FTC: We were both looking for housing in Richmond, and the owner of the house said we should meet, so we did.

AD: We’ve been working together for two years now, when we became roommates in Richmond. We’re no longer roommates, but we still work together. It was a little bit of fate.

Alex and Felix review blueprints.

SD: How did you both discover The Crucible?

FTC: I discovered The Crucible seven years ago. The moment I moved from Cuba, I started looking for work. A friend of mine gave me different names of places where my skills were an asset; The Crucible was one of them. I brought my resume around seven years ago. They called me after a few months and I started working here.

SD: As an entrepreneurial team, what’s your experience been like at The Crucible?

AD: It’s a great place, a great chance to work with a good company that’s doing things for the community – and have open arms for people who want to come in with good ideas. I feel like they’re established, and they’ve done good things for the art community overall.

SD: Would you recommend this to other entrepreneurs? What words of wisdom would you have for them?

AD: I sure would. As for words of wisdom: First, find out if the materials you’re working with are comparable to what they have here, and if The Crucible can help you with that. Then, from what I’ve experienced, there are a lot of professionals here – so whoever you’re working with, try and see it as an opportunity to build and express your ideas.

Making sure the prototype is up to spec.

SD: What’s your dream in creating this project?

FTC: It’s real. It’s present. This question is hard, because I’m making the dream. I’m living the dream.

AD: My hopes are to open up the minds of people, and kids, who might otherwise give up if they weren’t given a break by big companies – to show that there is a way if you have ideas;

While many artists at The Crucible call our 56,000 sq. ft. workspace “home,” they’ve found a new weekend play-space at Peralta Junction, West Oakland’s vibrant pop-up arts carnival.  Located at the corner of Mandela Parkway and West Grand Avenue, Peralta Junction hosts artisan vendors, food trucks, free workshops, musical performances, and – of course – live Mousetrap demonstrations for the community to enjoy.  Known for its inviting ambience and creative flair, the site is quickly becoming an integral part of the West Oakland landscape.

To learn more about Peralta Junction’s charm and place in the community, we turn to staff writer Sarah Dabby, for her interviews with Life-Size Mousetrap creator Mark Perez and West Oakland community members.

Happy listening!

Glass Department Head Kier Lugo has been practicing and teaching the craft for nearly a decade. With a special love for the art and a glowing way of speaking about the material itself, Kier sat down with us in October for a perspective into what’s happening with glass at The Crucible today.

Sarah Dabby: Let’s start with the basics.

Kier Lugo: Sure thing. My name is Kier Lugo, and I’m Department Head of the Glass Blowing Program here at The Crucible.

SD: How did you get into glass blowing? Did you grow up with it?

KL: Pretty much. My dad taught jewelry and art classes at Palomar Community College in San Marcos, CA, so I spent a lot of time around the art department and always knew I wanted to pursue art. I wasn’t sure what medium I wanted to pursue until I was 13 or 14, when I got really into ceramics. At that point, I realized I loved working in three dimensions. I thought ceramics was my calling until the summer of 1997, when I took my first glass blowing class. I’ve barely touched clay since then.

SD: How did you get involved with The Crucible?

KL: I started off as a volunteer at The Crucible in 2003, when I started studying at SFSU. Throughout my college years, I worked my way up from volunteer to intern to assistant studio manager to where I am today.

SD: Can you tell us about your department and some of its course offerings?

KL: I started the glass blowing department a little less than two years ago. It’s a relatively new program, but we’ve been growing pretty rapidly. We offer a range of classes, from one-day taster classes and introductory courses, to advanced courses focusing on different aspects of glass (e.g. shapes or techniques).

SD: What types of students does The Crucible attract?

KL: One nice thing about The Crucible is that our students are really diverse; we attract a huge mix of people, from newcomers and hobbyists to aspiring art professionals. Many students have a day job, and come here for a creative outlet or to learn something new. We also attract students with diverse skills sets that they can apply to new art forms.

SD: What makes a student’s experience at The Crucible special?

KL: A few things. First, our class sizes are always intentionally small; each student gets a lot of personal attention with instructors, which makes a very big difference when learning something new. At The Crucible, you’ll be – at most – one of six students in a class with two to three instructors. In contrast, when I was studying glass, my classes had a student to teacher ratio of 30:1 – the smaller class size makes all the difference. The other thing that’s really unique to The Crucible is our openness to answer questions and help each other out. We have a really diverse group of studios and mediums, from machine shop and foundry to blacksmithing, jewelry, wood, and glass. It’s unusual to have

We like to make everyone feel at home at The Crucible – and for one new community member, Hiroki Fukushima, that warm welcome is especially important. A Japanese immigrant, Fukushima moved to the Bay Area in July 2012, and his involvement at The Crucible has been essential to helping him find inspiration, community, and connection in his new home country. We sat down with Fukushima and his daughter, Marina, to learn more about his artwork and experience at The Crucible.

Sarah Dabby: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hiroki Fukushima: My name is Hiroki Fukushima and I’m an artist from Japan. I focus on blacksmithing, but I also work with aluminum, copper, and brass. I’ve also dabbled in ceramics, but I love working with metal. I’ve been working on my craft for over 40 years.

SD: How did you find out about The Crucible?

Marina Fukushima: I found it for my dad! It’s a funny story. I’m a dancer, and came to the Bay Area over three years ago. When I first moved here, a choreographer asked me to be in their dance piece. The piece would be staged at The Crucible, which often hosts big dance events. I couldn’t perform the dance because of a scheduling conflict, but because of that offer, I discovered the huge metal studios in Oakland. We’ve been planning for my parents to move here for about two years, and I kept thinking about the metal studios in Oakland. I started researching them about a year ago, looking for different places for my father to work. We decided The Crucible was the best place for him for two reasons: he could have access to many tools, and he could learn about American measurements. The tools and measurements in America are slightly different than those in Japan; being able to use the tools, research them, and learn about the equipment – both by hands-on experience, and by communicating with fellow artists at the studio – is great.

SD: How have you found your experience working in the blacksmith shop?

HF: It’s wonderful. In the past, I’ve always had my own studio with my own tools, so I’ve always worked alone with whatever tools I owned. Now, I work alongside other blacksmiths and can work with many more tools, so there’s a lot more inspiration around me. The people that work here are especially inspiring. I don’t speak much English, but being here, watching everyone work in different ways, and seeing everyone’s pieces come alive is really exciting. It’s especially great because the camaraderie here is wonderful. I’ve really enjoyed building relationships and developing trust with fellow blacksmiths – those relationships are really important, and I want to express those connections into my work.

SD: Are there any projects you’re currently working on?

HF: Today, I finished a wall ornament with iron. The ornament is a full moon with a silhouette of grass inside. The Japanese love subtle expressions of nature – it reflects a certain sensitivity that’s unique to