Events

Since 1999, The Crucible has brought our community of artists, neighbors, families, students, and makers together for events ranging from artists’ talks and demos to fire performances, benefits, and community open houses. For updates about all upcoming events, subscribe to our newsletter.

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Important 2024 Dates

  • January 8 – January 12: Weeklong Adult Classes
  • January 15: The Crucible’s 25th Birthday!
  • February 29: Field Trip Day
  • March 2: West Oakland Bike Summit
  • March 7: Field Trip Day
  • April 18: Field Trip Day
  • May 9: Field Trip Day
  • June 10 – July 26: Youth Summer Camps
  • July 25: Fuego Youth Leadership Reception
  • July 29: GIFTY vendor applications open
  • August 12 – 23: Weeklong Adult Classes
  • September 7: Open Studios
  • December 7 & 8: GIFTY 2024
  • December 21, 2024 – January 1, 2025: Crucible closed for winter break

Upcoming Events

Bike Shop: Free Events and Education

See our Bike Shop event page for upcoming event dates.

The Crucible is offering free, community bike maintenance and education to West Oakland and neighboring community members through our quarterly Bike Fix-A-Thons, Open Bike Shop Hours, Femme Bike Night, and Flat Fix Clinics. Drop off your bike for a tune-up or learn basic bike maintenance skills from our faculty and volunteers. We are also leading offsite events at other West Oakland locations.

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Free Crucible Tours

Join us for a free, semi-monthly Crucible tour! Learn about the history of our 56,000-square-foot studio, the art and artists that make our space unique, and our nonprofit mission to keep the industrial and fine arts accessible to all.

To accommodate different schedules, tours alternate between Saturday afternoons at 2pm and Thursday evenings at 6pm.

Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis in person. Feel free to RSVP on Eventbrite: Free Crucible Tours! RSVPs made through Eventbrite are for reminder purposes only and do not act as a reservation. Tours are subject to cancellation.

Please note: a portion of the tour requires the use of stairs.

  • Thursday, May 23: 6pm
  • Saturday, June 8: 2pm
  • Thursday, June 27: 6pm
  • Saturday, July 13: 2pm
  • Thursday, July 25: 6pm
  • Saturday, August 10: 2pm
  • Thursday, August 22: 6pm
  • Saturday, September 7: 2pm
  • Thursday, September 19: 6pm
  • Saturday, October 5: 2pm
  • Thursday, October 17: 6pm
  • Saturday, November 2: 2pm
  • Thursday, November 14: 6pm
  • Join us for GIFTY December 7th and 8th

Can’t wait to see inside?

Check out our virtual 3D Tour by clicking the button below! 

3D Tour

GIFTY: The Crucible’s annual craft show and open house

Find out when vendor applications will open and get answers to frequently asked questions.

Learn more about GIFTY

Browse Past In-person Events

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Metal vs. Wood

The Crucible’s Cathedral Gallery presents January 21 – March 5, 2010 Opening Reception – January 21st 6-9PM   The Crucible’s art gallery in Oakland’s historic Cathedral Building, at the triangle between Broadway and Telegraph Avenues, announces its first exhibition of the new year. “Metal vs. Wood/ Wood vs. Metal” is a group exhibition “showdown” featuring new works of art of metal and/or wood. Both media are rooted in tradition and history, and have been utilized for their material qualities for millennia, yet contemporary artists tend to gravitate towards working with one or the other. Encompassing a diversity of techniques, such as joinery, carving, turning, welding, forging, pouring, and machining, Metal vs. Wood showcases work that pushes the boundaries of what these materials have to offer.     Location: Oakland’s Historic Cathedral Building 1603 Broadway @ Telegraph Oakland, CA (map) Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday 11AM – 2PM First Fridays 6-9PM Artists Included: James Austin • Clifford Bohm • Don Braden • Charles Cantero • Ilana Caplan • Ben Carpenter • Patricia Chavez • Elise Cirelli • Edward Clapp • Luke Damiani • Laura de Anna • Denise DeRose • Sabrina Fadial • Tory Fink • Jonathan Grover • Colin Harris • Shawn HibmaCronan • Jason Hicky • Celeste Howell • Damon Hyldreth • Liz Judkins • Suzanne Kehr • Peter Kropf • Lorenzo La Bianca • Ara Yun Meng • Chris Neimer • Marcus Papay • Charles Quibell • Benjamin Silva • Partick Stafford • Carol Swift • Jason Takeuchi-Krist • James Watts • Matt Wolpe {morfeo 31} photos by Becca Jay

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Hot Couture 2013 Call for Artists

Something amazing is in the works at The Crucible. For the second time in our history, we’re launching an event bringing the creativity, skill and glamour of high fashion together with the strength, power and volatility of the industrial arts. Introducing HOT COUTURE: A Fusion of Fashion and Fire. As our 14th year anniversary event, Hot Couture seeks teams of designers to collaborate and design industrial haute couture. Our event concept is to blend the intensity and craft surrounding true French haute couture with the raw energy and materials found in the industrial arts. We’re calling for fashion designers to pair with industrial artists to use talents from both fields to create bold design, visionary fashion, and accessories that can only exist in this rare coupling of worlds. Leather, metal, paper, stone, silk, fire, electricity… All materials and methods of beautifully integrating them with the human form are up for grabs. The supporting event will be produced in proper Crucible style, with a focus on industrial elements set to a backdrop of metal and fire. Once the show run has completed, all pieces will be included in a moving art installation as part of a set of exhibits in museums throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. We are currently seeking submissions and team proposals from fashion designers and industrial artists. Interested participants should click here to fill out our proposal form. Requirements Design teams much produce a minimum of four complete looks for the show. Looks must be imaginative and well executed. Wearable is a guideline; we are looking for fashion sculpture. All designs should be flame resistant. Event Details The dates for the show will be Friday and Saturday nights, January 11th and 12th, 2013. The Crucible will provide a materials stipend for each team selected. The Crucible will own the works after the show. All artists and designers will be credited for their work. HOT COUTURE: A Fusion of Fashion and Fire fashion is a spectacle that you won’t want to miss. We’re looking forward to supporting you and your team, and we’d like to get started as soon as possible. For information on haute couture and it’s place in France’s fashion DNA, Vanity Fair has this: http://www.vanityfair.com/style/features/2009/09/couture200909  Interested in participating? Click here to fill out our proposal form!  

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Holiday Gifty Art Sale 2009

Hot for the Holidays! Saturday & Sunday, December 12 & 13, 2009 10AM – 4PM Vendors – Applications Closed Art Show – Call For Artists – Apply Here Shopping at the mall was never like this! Support local artists and community arts education for youth and adults while you get your last minute shopping done at the Bay Area’s most unusual holiday celebration. Whatever holiday you celebrate, spark it up with a visit to The Crucible’s Holiday Gifty celebration. Shop for unique and affordable gifts created by over 70 Bay Area artisans, and experience the excitement of our 56,000 sq. ft. studio, where furnaces roar and sparks fly. • Handmade jewelry, glass creations, sculpture, clothing, ceramics and more • Demonstrations of glass blowing, metal casting, and blacksmithing from 11AM to 3PM • The Crucible’s Bike Shop with be selling Bicycles of all sizes • Family friendly performances • Santa arrives at 1PM • Prize drawing at 3PM each day; grand prize drawing Sunday • Refreshments and holiday treats • Learn about classes and workshops that will ignite your own creativity! And the best part…FREE admission! Check us out last year on ABC 7 News! Picture Gallery from 2008 Gifty Vendors – Applications Closed Art Show – Applications Closed   photos by Becca Jay VENDORS CERAMICS Aaron Vonk Catherine Bildhauer Moriah Hart VAM Pottery CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES Alpaca by Karim bunnywarez Carolyn Yugo Daphne Ruff dorklandia Field Day Wearables fiftyseven-thirtythree King Bag Company Like Minded People Lucky Space Monkey Mani Padma O’Lover Hats Recession Clothing RocknSock Sew is Your Face! SuperSugarRayRay THREAD together JEWELRY Asti Glass Design Baja Nights Jewelry Beadzilla Jewelry Creations Beauty and the Beads of Santa Fe in Berkeley Bobbie’s Baubles Colleen Mauer Designs D.A.C. Metals Found Treasures Fun Girls Jewelry Heart’s Desire Jewelry Heidi Tarver Hilary Engelman Design Juni Bee Jewelry Just ‘Cause Custom Jewelry Liz Oppenheim Jewelry Made With Molecules Mangosteen melissa muszynski Paula Chan Design Studio Pretty in Sterling Rosemary Dudley Designs Shaya Durbin Jewelry Silver Productions Singhar Jewelry Squishy Sushi Turning Heads YoLa Jewelry Art   GLASS Alley Kat Designs Analia Morris April Zilber DaVidRo Fireworks Glass Studio LLC McKeever Studios Meri Page Design Nightside Studios Tara Murray Art Glass WOOD Brad Adams Joey Gottbrath Turned Wood Gallery METAL Aimee Golant: Metal Art & Judaica Red Frog Metal Design Rusty Noodle Studios Bicycles by The Crucible Bike Shop PHOTOGRAPHY & PAPERWORKS Crafts by Redvelvet Elaine Chu Graphic Design Mi Vida Creations MilleFeuille Photography Ray Maseman – Printmaker SPA PRODUCTS By Nieves Wisdom by Wisdom Natural Soaps MIXED/MISC. Anna Yates Elementary School Dina Rubiolo East Bay Express Kevin McElroy & Elizabeth Serage Praise the Gourd Tomye’ Et Al FOOD Brittany Crepes Liba katie’s Espresso Express  

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Holiday Gifty Art Sale 2010

Hot for the Holidays! Friday, December 10, 2010 (Preview Night) 7-10PM • $10 at Door / Free Admission for Crucible Members Saturday & Sunday, December 11 & 12, 2010 10AM – 4PM • Free Admission for all Press Release (PDF) Event Poster (JPG) Shopping at the mall was never like this! Support local artists and community arts education for youth and adults while you get your last minute shopping done at the Bay Area’s most unusual holiday celebration. On Friday night we have our first ever special preview night with live music, adult beverages and first crack at the fabulous gifty items. This evening is free to Crucible members, so become a member now or at the door to start reaping the rewards of your member benefits! Then on Saturday and Sunday we have the most unique holiday shopping experience around. Shop for affordable handcrafted gifts created by over 70 Bay Area artisans, and experience the excitement of our 56,000 sq. ft. studio, where furnaces roar and sparks fly. Kinetic Steam Works will also be on hand with their large steam powered tracker “Pappy” to usher in a very important guest. Holiday Gifty Features: • Over 70 amazing artisans selling handmade gifts • Exciting live industrial art demonstrations in welding, blacksmithing, glass blowing and more • Bicycles for all ages will be for sale in The Crucible’s Bike Shop • Fabulous family friendly stage performances • A visit from Santa at 1PM (Saturday & Sunday Only) • Spectacular Art Lottery • Tasty refreshments and holiday treats • An opportunity to talk and interact with our instructors, students and staff to learn more about The Crucible, sign up for classes, or purchasing a gift certificate • Kinetic Steam Works “Pappy” (Saturday & Sunday Only) • Destiny – Harpist from the Hood (Friday Only) • Fiddlerats (Saturday Only) • Fade2Black Youth Jazz Ensemble (Sunday Only) Whatever holiday you celebrate, spark it up with a visit to The Crucible’s Holiday Gifty celebration. Picture Gallery from 2009 Holiday Gifty Also Not To Be Missed…Register for a class at Holiday Gifty and save 20% or even 25% off class tuition for the winter quarter.– New students receive a 20% discount– Crucible members receive a 25% discount* Class cost comprises tuition and studio costs; discount is on tuition only. Discount cannot be applied to classes for which you have already registered. There is limited space for discounted tuition available in each class, and this offer cannot be combined with any other offers, volunteer/intern hours or coupons. Not good for Family Fun Weekends, Tasters, Labs or CREATE access. photos by Becca Jay & Matthew Silvey Vendors *Vendors being added daily… CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES Alpaca by Karim AllOneWord Bunnywarez DandyLion Press Daphne Ruff Field Day Wearables fiftyseven-thirtythree King Bag Company Korrupt Label Like Minded People O’Lover Hats RocknSocks Stay in the Light SuperSugarRayRay Susan Eastman The Window Lady Warm It Up JEWELRY Anthony Rees Art & Design Artisans at Mooseworks Asti Glass Design Bobbie’s Baubles Celtica Jewelry Colleen Mauer Designs […]

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eARTh

The Crucible’s Cathedral Gallery presents November 6 – December 31, 2009 We will be open for First Friday 1/1/10! Artists Include: Alex Nielsen • Billy Hiebert • Bobby Jean • Bruk Dunbar • Christopher Flores • Courtney Johnson Ilana Crispi • Janet Hiebert • Jenean Smith • Kathleen Watson Laura van Duren • Mari Chovan-Upton Richard Friedman • Sabrina Fadial • Sharon Nelson • Susan Boggiano • Susannah Israel Tachina Rudman-Young • Tara Murray • William Rose III • and more..   Gallery Hours: 1st Friday’s 6-9PM 3rd Thursday’s 6-9PM Every Tuesday and Thursday 11AM-2PM Address: 1615 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612 Map More Info: (510) 444-0919 [email protected] Right by the 19th Street BART Station.   {morfeo 29} photos by Jan Schlesinger, Jennifer Harrity and Suzanne Kehr

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Newsletter October 09

FEATURE Fall Classes in Full Swing If you’re missing the heat of summer, then come to The Crucible to get up close and personal with a kiln, torch, furnace, or flame and ignite your creativity. There are classes to suit just about anyone’s schedule, including several NEW classes just added. Download (pdf) Fall Class Schedule CLASSES Halloween Family Fun Weekend Saturday & Sunday – Oct 31 & Nov 1 Halloween Family Fun Weekend classes offer a family member discounted tuition when you take a class together. The tuition is for one adult and one child age 12 and up. As far as family goes, you define family, not us. So why stop at carving a pumpkin when you can carve hot metal! Check out what we still have open below: Introduction to Blacksmithing Glass Flameworking Introduction to Jewelry & Metals (A) Introduction to Welded Sculpture Introduction to MIG Welding Beginning TIG Woodturning BACK TO TOP New Classes Coming This Fall! In Blacksmithing Forgewelding Weekend Intensive, Oct. 24-25 This advanced blacksmithing skill has long been the mark of “expert status” in metalworking and is often used in bladesmithing. In Ceramics Create a Blessing Bowl 2 Sundays, Nov. 8 & 15 In this class you’ll experience the special joy of giving and receiving, while you learn basic ceramic skills. In Hot Wheels Bike Mechanic Workshop 3 Sessions, starts Oct. 17 You will leave this class with your bike deep and completely tuned up, as well as a solid working knowledge of bike repair. In Moldmaking Life Casting 5 Sessions, starts Nov. 3. In this class you will learn the basics of creating a negative mold to make your unique sculpture using the human form. In Resources for Artists Discovering the Artist in You 5 Sessions, starts Oct. 22. Access your creativity and find your muse through a unique approach that includes movement, breath awareness and lots of engaging materials. In Textiles T-Shirt Reconstruction 3 Sessions, starts Nov. 10. Learn how to re-size, cut and convert your old clothes and transform them into new and exciting garments. BACK TO TOP Weekend Warriors Do you have a free weekend coming up? Are you looking for something to do? Do you just need to get those creative juices flowing? Check out these fun weekend possibilities: October 10-11 Stilt Walking October 17-18 Glass Flameworking Lab Sheet Metal Forming with Evan Wilcox Copyright Law for Artists (Saturday only) October 24-25 Forgewelding Intro to Rubber Mold Making for Jewelry (Saturday only) Gemology (Sunday only) October 31-November 1 A Primer in 3D Enameling (Saturday only) Fearless Fire Eating Introduction to Glass Blowing November 7-8 Foundry – Patinas Made Easy Advanced Glass Marble Making Techniques Jewelry – Introduction to Art Silver Clay Making Your Own Jewelry Stamping Tools (Saturday only) November 14-15 Glass Flameworking – Core Vessel Forming Jewelry – Casting Wax to Silver BACK TO TOP Classes for Beginners Introduction to Fire Staff 5 sessions, starts Nov. 2 Learn the fundamental skills you need to spin a single fire […]

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Fall Community Open House 2009

Celebrating Art & Community Saturday, September 12, 2009 12PM to 4PM Interested in participating in this exciting event? Exhibitor Information…   We know you’ve driven by a thousand times wondering what goes on here. Well now’s your chance to come find out! Come on down and visit us during our annual Fall Community Open House. We will be hosting an expo of several amazing community organizations that bring vital and important services to our diverse neighborhood, and an art show highlighting the talents of our students and faculty. Our Open House is a wonderful way to experience many of the fabulous things West Oakland has to offer. This is a family-friendly event with circus and fire performances, food and fun for all ages and the best part – it’s FREE! Event Activities Include: • An expo of several amazing organizations committed to serving Oakland communities • A Fiery metal pour in our foundry • Tasty Food & Refreshments • Fabulous live performances of fire, music and dance • Exciting live demonstrations including welding, glass working, metal casting, and blacksmithing • Student art show displaying the creativity of The Crucible Check out pictures from last year…

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Fall Open House 2007

Fall Community Open House Saturday, September 8, 2007 Art Show and Open House – 2-6pm Artist Reception – Featuring the Art of Githinji Wa Mibre – 6-8pm Celebrating Art & Community At The Crucible’s annual Fall Open House, you’ll experience the collaboration of art and community first hand with an extraordinary celebration of both in our centrally located 56,000 sq ft studio in West Oakland. Featuring an expo of community organizations based or serving West Oakland that bring vital and important services to the vibrant neighborhood; an art show and sale showcasing the talents of our students and faculty, and a special artist reception (6-8pm) launching our new Artist-in-Residence program and artist Githinji Wa Mbire. Green Living Also highlighted at this event will be green and environmental living strategies, including solar power information and a special appearance by The Crucible’s celebrated biodiesel motorcycle, the Die Moto, recently featured on the cover of the August, 2007 issue of Popular Science. read more… Art Show and Demos There will be demonstrations of glass blowing, bronze casting, and blacksmithing, a Bike Fixathon from 12-3 PM, refreshments, and the opportunity to learn more about classes at The Crucible, where you can learn to make art of your own. As the Bay Area’s hottest alternative art school, The Crucible offers classes in welding, glass, blacksmithing, jewelry, fire performance, and other fire arts. Artist Reception Featuring the Art of Githinji Wa MibreSeptember 8th, 6-8pm This is a special reception launching our new Artist-in-Residence program and artist Githinji Wa Mbire, a mixed media artist hailing from Magadi, Kenya. Wine and light refreshments will be served. About Githinji Wa Mbire: Githinji Wa Mbire is from Magadi, Kenya, in the southern portion of the Rift Valley near the Tanzania border. He creates his immense mixed media pieces from the remains of found artifacts that often reference the physical continent of Africa; textiles, hails bottle caps, wood from old houses and churches, are just a few of the elements that one would find woven it to Githinji’s pieces. Spirituality, peace and love are all themes that guide his work as well as his activities in the community. Githinji is the Co-Director of the Cornelia Bell Black Bottom Gallery in West Oakland.

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Fire Arts Festival® 2009

{youtube}VyxZJPsuS9k{/youtube} The Crucible’s 9th Annual Fire Arts Festival Wednesday – Saturday, July 15-18, 2009 8:00PM – 11:59PM NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR! (see where) 2009 Festival Recap Gallery | 2009 Soirée Recap Gallery Jump To: About The Festival The Rootabaga Opera Patron Pavilion Fire & Light Soirée Line-Up & Artists Discounts & Quick Entry Places to Stay New Location / Directions Photo/Video Policy Fire Arts Arena Rules 2008 videos/images 2009 videos/images 2009 Soirée photo gallery About The Fire Arts Festival Each July The Crucible’s Fire Arts Festival celebrates creativity through fire and light with a spectacular open-air exhibition of interactive fire art, performance and the largest collection of outdoor fire sculpture on the West Coast. The Fire Arts Festival is our major fundraising event, and proceeds benefit The Crucible’s arts education programs for youth and adults. You’ll be dwarfed by gigantic sculptures, get hands-on with interactive installations, and experience an eye-popping array of cutting edge fire sculpture and art from the all over the country. Each evening, fire performers will awe and amaze the most discerning pyrophile and you’ll be dazzled by incredible music and dance performances. It’s the must-see event of the summer. More Bang for the Buck – Literally! This year we will be expanding the festival in a new, larger location. Our new Oakland location is three times larger than years past, giving attendees more elbow room and us the ability to bring you more of your favorite artists. We will have more fire and light sculptures, food and merchandise vendors. In addition to our regular performances, we will feature the world premiere of Dan Cantrell’s The Rootabaga Opera   a>. Oh, and did we mention that entrance into the Fire Arts Festival will be cheaper this year too! This year ticket service fees will be included in the price of the ticket, making the total cost of entrance into the festival more affordable than last year.   Dan Cantrell’s The Rootabaga Opera The 2009 Fire Arts Festival will feature the world premiere of Dan Cantrell’s The Rootabaga Opera, a narrative musical presentation inspired by the children’s stories of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and treasured American folk music historian Carl Sandburg. This one-act musical journey weaves individual stories into a narrative arc staged in a theatrical format. The material will be informed by the diasporic culture of American immigrants during the dramatic turning of the 19th century as seen through Sandburg’s stories. Through a unique blend of early American, Chinese, and Eastern European music, this opera will explore the roots of the Bay Area’s musical and cultural identity. Compositions will be complimented by an interdisciplinary collaboration of fire arts, puppetry, dance and theatre. The piece will reflect the ideas, characters and text found in Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories and his collections of American folk music while venturing into new areas of collaboration and musical exploration based on the interaction of the diverse range of performers. The musical ensemble, directed and conducted by Emmy award-winning composer Dan Cantrell, will feature some […]

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Fire Arts Festival – Applications

Wednesday – Saturday, July 15-18, 2009 Call for Artists and Performers We invite you to submit your work for inclusion in our 2009 Fire Arts Festival. Jump down to Applications The Crucible is a non-profit arts education center that fosters a collaboration of arts, industry and community, teaching and showcasing fire, metal, glass and light art in the East Bay for over ten years. The Crucible offers over 700 classes to over 8,000 students every year in everything from bronze casting to neon, welding, glass working, blacksmithing, and fire dancing. Events like the Fire Arts Festival help support The Crucible’s programs and allow us to continue offering them to the community. Dedicated to the creative use of fire and light, The Crucible is known for its innovative and stunning public events and fundraisers, uniting artists from diverse disciplines. We’d like to invite you, as a performer or artist, to get in touch and tell us how you’d like to participate in this year’s event. The Fire Arts Festival will take place July 15-18 at a NEW LOCATION in Oakland, just off the Bay Bridge. There will be a full program of art, performance and education throughout four days and nights, including music, dance, fire and art demonstrations. This year’s highlight will be the world premiere of an opera specially created for the Fire Arts Festival. The fire arts community and general public will be captivated by this event, and we hope that you will want to be a part of it. You’ll get ample set-up and breakdown time and we’ll be doing extensive outreach and publicity for the event. The Mission of the Fire Arts Festival The summer of 2009 marks the ninth annual Fire Arts Festival, galvanizing education and growth of the fire arts community both on the West Coast and nationally. The Fire Arts Festival is a one of a kind showcase of innovative works of fire and light art, performances and classes. We offer the community a dedicated space and resources that gives them a unique learning and collaborative opportunity. Through providing a meeting place for artists, performers, teachers, students and City officials to share information, the Fire Arts Festival engenders and promotes fire safety and education like no other organization.   Applications and Deadlines Please fill out an online application listed below. To include you in our promotional materials, please send us the items listed below. We prefer support materials sent via email at [email protected], but if necessary please mail your support materials. All applicants should send us the following: • Your art installation or performance application • Fire Safety plan if you are using fire • Digital photos of your proposed installation or performance • Link to your website(s), if applicable • Digital photos of your previous work, if applicable • A 10-15 minute video clip If you have only hard copies of support materials, please mail them to the Crucible at: The Crucible 1260 7th Street Oakland, CA 94607 c/o Events Coordinator Please download, […]

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Watch Past Virtual Events