The Crucible's Youth Immersion Program

The Crucible is excited to present its first ever beginning, intermediate, and advanced level youth weeklong workshop. Students will embark on a full week study in blacksmithing, becoming young artisans by the week's end. Students will learn theory, principles, and extensive techniques that will give them the necessary skills to design and create their own independent projects. No experience is necessary.

Come experience The Crucible in an intense learning program that will foster new skills and develop the artist in you. No experience is necessary to take these art classes.

Summer 2013 Youth Immersion Program runs July 8th - July 12th!  9-4pm

Youth Blacksmithing Immersion Workshop (12-17 year olds)

By the heat of a 2500 degree forge, you will heat raw steel until it is white-hot and moldable like clay. Using blacksmithing tools, such as, hammers, an anvil, punches, hot cuts, drifts, and the fly press you will learn to transform the shape of metal into hand-crafted projects.

In a supportive and encouraging environment, you will be taught fundamental blacksmithing techniques including precision hammering and control, twisting, tapering, upsettting, punching, twisting, and texturing.

During this workshop, you will work with a professional blacksmith to learn 3D forging techniques.

Sign Up Now!

Youth Glass Flameworking Immersion Workshop (12-17 year olds)

Over the flame of a 4000 degree torch, you will learn to transform the shape of glass using flameworking tools such as graphite marvers, paddles, and marble molds, as well as tweezers, mashers, steel mandrels, paddles, reamers, and more. You will melt, shape, and transform tubes and solid rods of glass into marbles, beads, flowers, insects, monsters, and hollow ornaments.

In a supportive and encouraging environment, you will be taught flameworking theory and principles including rotation, gravity, reading the heat base, hot/cold seals, gathering, condensing, tension, annealing, color theory and application, chemistry and physics. Fundamental techniques such as shaping, glass blowing, bead making, and sculpting will be taught to expand and refine your skills.

During this exciting workshop, professional glass artists will guide you through the techniques of working with borosilicate and soda-lime glass (soft glass).

Sign Up Now!

Youth Glass Blowing Immersion Workshop (14-17 year olds)

With heat from the belly of a 2000 degree furnace, you will transform the shape of molten glass using traditional tools such as marvers, jacks, paddles, straight and diamond shears, optic molds, wood blocks, as well the paper, the punty and the blowpipe. You will manipulate and shape hot glass into paperweights, flowers, drinking vessels, bowls, bottles, sculptures, small vases and more.

In a supportive and encouraging environment, you will be taught glass blowing theory and principles including rotation, gravity, form, control, thermal stress, bit work, annealing, color theory and application. Fundamental techniques such as gathering, marvering, transferring, necking, trimming, sculpting, attachments, wraps, as well as, bench and blowing technique will be taught to expand and refine your skills.  Safety and teamwork are a key focus of working in the hot shop.

During this exciting workshop, professional glass artists will guide you through the techniques of working with hot glass.

Sign Up Now!

Youth ARC Welding Immersion Workshop (12-17 year olds)

With an electrode to strike an arc of electricity, more than 3000 degrees, you will learn to join and cut metal to create a series of custom projects using tools such as an ARC welder and Oxyacetylene torch.  Safety and use of fabrication shop tools such as the ... will also be taught.

In a supportive and encouraging environment, you will learn welding theory and principles including conceptual design, drawing to communicate your ideas, material selection, and metal terminology.  Fundamental techniques such as oxy/acetylene bending, fabrication, connections, and finishing will be taught to expand and refine your skills.

During this exciting workshop, a professional fabrication artist will guide you through the techniques of working with mild steel and recycled materials. You will have the opportunity to construct projects of your very own design.  We will have a library of metal working books and sample projects for inspiration.

Sign Up Now!

Coming From Out Of Town?

Are you coming from out of town and need a nice, budget friendly place to stay in the Bay Area? We've worked a great deal with Executive Inn & Suites in Oakland. Set on Oakland's estuary, midway between Oakland Intern ational Airport and Downtown, this hotel is just a few miles from The Crucible and a has many great room options. FREE: Shuttle to downtown and BART locations, Internet Access, Parking and Continental Breakfast. Special rates for friends of The Crucible start at just $69, with water view suites available at $109. To get these great rates, reserve on line at: www.executiveinnoakland.com Enter your arrival and departure information, then select "group code" and enter Crucible