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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Holiday Gifty Art Sale 2007

Saturday & Sunday, December 15 & 16, 2007 10AM to 4PM • FREE ADMISSION!   Hot for the Holidays! 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 75 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 • Family friendly fire performers and the Von Stilt family with their flamedeer • Demonstrations of glass blowing, metal casting, and blacksmithing from 11AM to 3PM • Santa arrives at 1PM • Raffle drawing at 3PM each day; grand prize drawing Sunday • Hands-on activities for adults and kids from 11AM to 3PM • Refreshments and holiday treats • Learn about classes and workshops that will ignite your own creativity! 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 celebration.   Here’s just a taste of the more than 75 bay area artists that will be at the hottest gift sale of the holidays: (Click image for artist info/website) Also Featuring: Carla Hall – Blacksmithing Kristy Alfieri – Alma Flores Jewelry April Zilber – Glass Grant Diffendaffer – Polymer clay jewelry Glass by Warren Greg Pless – Wood & metal furniture Brad Adams – Wood turning VAM Pottery – Ceramics Ken Rhoades – Birdhouse art

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Fire Arts Arena Directions

FREE shuttle service will be available from West Oakland BART to the Fire Arts Arena and back! Youth will not be allowed on shuttles unless accompanied by an adult.   Bicycle parking will also be available. Bicyclists must provide their own lock.   Driving Directions to the NEW Fire Arts Arena:  2020 Engineer Road, Oakland, CA From The Crucible 
(2.6 miles)  (Good directions for bicyclists) – Head west on 7th St toward BART – Turn right at Mandela Pkwy
 – Turn left at West Grand Ave
 – Turn right at Wake Ave. to enter the Fire Arts Arena – Free parking on your left From Contra Costa – Hwy 24 W
 – Take Hwy 24 West towards Oakland – Exit I-580 West
 (as if you are going to SF) – Merge left onto I-80 West (again like you’re heading to SF) – Immediately begin merging to the right to the West Grand Ave/Maritime St exit (NOTE: THIS IS LAST OAKLAND EXIT and you will go up and over the toll booths) – Continue straight
 down a long exit ramp – Turn left at Maritime St/Wake Ave (under freeway)
and into the Arena area – Free parking on your left From San Francisco 
 – Continue on I-80 East
 over the Bay Bridge – Slight right at CA-880 South (signs for San Jose/I-880/Alameda/OAK Airport) – Take the Maritime St exit toward West Grand Ave 
(Oakland Army Base) – Continue straight – Turn left at Maritime St/Wake Ave (under freeway) – Free parking on your left From the Peninsula/US-101 N
 – Take US-101 North
 – Continue on I-80 East
 over Bay Bridge – Slight right at CA-880 South (signs for San Jose/I-880/Alameda/OAK Airport) – Take the Maritime St exit toward West Grand Ave
 (Oakland Army Base) – Continue straight
 down long ramp – Turn left at Maritime St/Wake Ave (under freeway) 
into Arena area – Free parking on your left From San Rafael/Richmond – I-580 E
 – Take I-580 East
 through Berkeley (merges with I-80) – Stay in middle lanes to Take the I-880 exit toward San Jose/Alameda/OAK Airport – Take exit 44, West Grand Ave toward 7th St
 – Turn right at West Grand Ave
 – Turn right at Wake Ave 
into Arena area – Free parking on your left From South Bay – I-880 N
 – Take I-880 North
 through Oakland – Take the 7th St exit toward West Grand Ave – Merge onto (unmarked) Frontage Rd (signs for West Grand Ave) – Turn left at West Grand Ave – Turn right at Wake Ave 
into Arena area – Free parking on your left Directions to Your Phone: For directions from your location to us from your phone: – Dial DIR-ECT-IONS (347-328-4667) – Select “Event” from main menu – Say “Fire Arts Festival” – Say your starting point (it can be an address or an intersection) – That’s it! Driving directions are instantly sent via text message to your cell phone Parking: We have limited parking available in two lots. One […]

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Fire Arts Festival® 2007

The Crucible’s 7th Annual Fire Arts Festival set West Oakland ablaze and transformed the vacant lot at Kirkham St. and 7th St. into a Fire Arts Arena with a four-day run from Wednesday, July 11th, to Saturday, July 14th, 2007. Designed and produced by The Crucible’s Founder and Executive Director, Michael Sturtz, the annual celebration of fire and light featured an amazing cast of dancers and performers reflecting the diversity of the Bay Area’s arts community — from classically trained ballet dancers to hip-hop artists, musicians, outrageous fire artists and performers, and The Crucible’s own faculty of blacksmiths, metal casters, and glassworkers. The festival showcased kinetic and fire art pieces, with over 30 installation artists contributing to the event’s success. Many of the kinetic fire sculptures, like the 168-foot long Serpent Mother, created by arts collective The Flaming Lotus Girls, which encouraged hands-on participation like controlling propane jets. Another interactive display, Dance Dance Immolation, by Interpretive Arson, challenged participants to match on-screen dance steps – with the penalty for a misstep being a blast of fire to the face (fortunately dancers were suited up in Nomex firefighter suits prior to testing their skills). The Fire Odyssey Ever raising the bar for “flameboyance,” this year Michael Sturtz added something new: The Fire Odyssey, an 11-act modernized interpretation of Homer’s epic poem, performed nightly. Blending industrial fire theatre with ballet, opera, hip hop, aerial dance, fire performance and more, The Fire Odyssey brought together an amazing cast of internationally recognized dancers and performers to create one of the most technically ambitious and visually stunning productions seen in the Bay Area. Opera singer Aimee Puentes sang the role of Penelope, and Easton Smith, who played Romeo in The Crucible’s production of Romeo & Juliet—A Fire Ballet, returned as Odysseus. Mongolian contortionist Byamba Serchmaa played Circe, who tried to seduce Odysseus; members of the renowned hip-hop troupe Flavor Group played Odysseus’ men. The acrobatic team of Realis, made up of gold medalists and world champion gymnasts Shenea Booth and Arthur Davis, performed the production’s amazing finale, with original live music provided by Mark Growden and a hand-picked ensemble. The saga of Odysseus took place on an enormous 58 foot wide stage, complete with a thousand-gallon “sea;” a colossal Rube Goldberg style system of stairs, ramps and chutes; and four gigantic Greek gods, personified as 35-foot-tall welded sculptures by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito, which interacted with the human performers. Recreating the elements of water, wind, fire, steam and light required a massive production crew, and included members from the Oakland Fire Department and Kinetic Steam Works. The Odyssey tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus and his long journey home following the fall of Troy. Odysseus and his crew are both protected and besieged by the gods throughout their voyage. Athena, goddess of wisdom and fire, protects them, but Poseidon, god of the sea, sends a storm to put them off course and into a confrontation with his son, the Cyclops (played […]

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Industrial Chic – 2007 Fashion Show

INDUSTRIAL CHIC Fashion + Art Show and Preview Friday, April 13, 2007, 7- 10PM Open House, Art & Fashion Exhibition, and Rusty Elephant Sale Saturday and Sunday, April 14th & 15th, 10AM – 4PM Free Admission Friday Night Fashion + Art Show and Preview On April 13th, 2007, The Crucible presented the hottest of haute couture in a fashion show of wearable art made from repurposed materials. The evening’s entertainment included a fabulous art show, a preview of The Crucible’s Rusty Elephant Sale (an unparalleled source of donated industrial surplus), and, of course, fire performance. Performances by: Urban Pointe Evocation • Miranda Caroligne • Mystress Fyre & Co. Music by: Halon Lighting by: reFRACTion and Lauren McCullough Featuring: • elmajdesign • Auberon • Spy Girl Friday • Eric Pennella • Jay Bridgland • Diana Stasko • O’Lover Hats • Helena Stoddard • Bree Hylkema • Bonnie Heras • SuperSugarRayRay • Kathleen Fernald • Hungry Panda …and much more Saturday and Sunday Open House, Art & Fashion Exhibition, and Rusty Elephant Sale On April 14 and 15, The Crucible welcomed spring with an open house and art show that included wearable art. Industrial surplus was on sale at our Rusty Elephant Sale and demonstrations of industrial arts showed how you could turn that surplus into art of your own. Admission free for all. Rusty Elephant Sale featured: • Industrial Surplus • Materials for your next work of art • Scientific glassware • Scientific stainless steel • Equipment and machinery • Bicycles • Other cool stuff Other activities included: • Bicycle Fix-a-thon on Sunday • Youth activities • Youth art • Glass blowing • Bronze pour • Fire performance

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Romeo & Juliet – 2007 Fire Ballet

Our Eighth Anniversary Fundraising Production In Janurary 2007, The Crucible celebrated its 8th Anniversary with a sizzling synthesis of dance and fire: The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet—A Fire Ballet. In the dazzling tradition of The Crucible’s Fire Operas, this first-ever Fire Ballet was a theatrical spectacle that blended ballet, classical music, aerial performance, hip hop, fire, and the industrial arts into a compelling modernized rendition of Shakespeare’s tragic tale. Like The Crucible’s Fire Operas, the Fire Ballet creatively brought together unlikely partners in a remarkable collaboration where the whole was much more than the sum of its parts. The legendary tale of star-crossed lovers was set to the passionate and powerful score of Sergei Prokofiev. The production’s musical director was Mark Jan Wlodarkiewicz. The Fire Ballet was designed and produced by Crucible Founder Michael Sturtz, and choreographed by Corinne Blum, who has been called one of the West Coast’s most exciting, young choreographers. The Crucible’s first-ever Fire Ballet was unquestionably a tremendous success, garnering praise from the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Tribune, Dance View Times, and the San Francisco Examiner; and selling out for every performance of its two-week run. The Crucible would like to thank everyone who helped make possible our 8th Anniversary fundraiser, The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet—A Fire Ballet: Special Thanks to Our Sponsors For Their Generous Contributions: The Hellman Family The Thornton Family Ann Hatch & Paul Discoe The Russell-Shapiro Family The Cohen Family Meyer Sound Comcast Lagunitas Brewing Company Bay Cities Pyrotector Applied IP Four Vines Winery Additional Thanks to the Following For Their Support: reFRACTion Clear Channel Oakland Magazine DTC Grip & Electric Cresco Equipment Rentals Mutual Aid Response Services (MARS) ODC: Oberlin Dance Collective The Bay Cafe, San Rafael Andy Tannehill Catering Cynthia Washburn Catering Special Thanks to: Oakland Fire Department Cast & Crew Players Director & Designer: Michael Sturtz Choreographer: Corinne Blum Stage Director: Josh Costello Music Director: Mark Jan Wlodakiewicz (aka Vordo) Fight Scene Chorographer: Jonathan Rider Costumer: Anna Prisekin Lighting Design: Ben Davis Cast House of Montague Romeo: Easton Smith Benvolio: Prem Kumta of Flavor Group Mercutio: Shawn Hallman (Iron Monkey) of Flavor Group Lord Montague: Fred Winslow Lady Montague: Heather Wilson Montague Girls: Fly Away Productions, Jo Kreider as Choreographer Janine Fondiller Damara Ganley Kate Law Jessica Swanson House of Capulet Juliet: Maurya Kerr Tybalt: Brendan Barthel Nurse: Belva Stone (Mystress Fyre) Lord Capulet: Noé Serrano-Estrada Lady Capulet: Nora Heiber Paris: Brian Fisher Montague & Capulet Gangs: Wushu West Master Patti Li as Choreographer Performers: Melvin Hsieh Collin Lee Kenny Leu Johnny Lew Cary Li Stephanie Lim Flavor Group Prem Kumta Shawn Hallman (Iron Monkey) Cuong Ly (aka Tony Styles) Jorge Guerra (Suado) Ballroom Ballet Dancers: Jamielyn Duggan Melissa Caywood Carlo Sierra Leigh Riley Kenneth Scott Ballroom Fire Dancers: Choreographed by Kristina Cañizares Thomas Sepe Auberon Shul Hunter Klara Soukalova Slater Penney Shaina Dyani Johnson Joseph Rynd Tiffany Parish Friar Lawrence: Nick DiPhillipo The Apothecary: Jay Bridgland Prince […]

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Seven Deadly Sins – 2006 Fire Opera

Lust. Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Wrath. Envy. Pride. Upon setting fire to the stage, Michael Sturtz, Founder and Executive Director of The Crucible, welcomed the audience to its 7th anniversary fundraising event — Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s The Seven Deadly Sins — in a unique fusion of Opera and Fire Arts. Designed and produced by Sturtz, this unique production was directed by Roy Rallo and featured artists from San Francisco Opera and The Oakland East Bay Symphony, conducted by Sara Jobin.   It is The Crucible’s second Fire Opera. The Crucible’s vast industrial arts studio was transformed into a dreamscape of fire and passion as the lights dimmed. The 30-piece symphony began, and three lawn chairs became the Louisiana home of Anna and her family.   The personality of Anna I is practical with a strong moral conscience, but Anna II is emotional and impulsive; she craves artistic beauty. As Anna journeys through seven cities, she encounters a deadly sin in each, and each personality must face the dilemma of choosing between money or dreams. The first sin is Sloth. Anna leaves home and the stage comes alive with fire and light. Glowing hot cubes rain from above and sparks fly as hammers strike anvils. The sisters find themselves in a nightmarish scene, compelled to work while the family chorus (lounging in their chairs) exhorts them to keep their nose to the grindstone, singing, “Lazy bones are for the devil’s stock pot.” Anna encounters Pride and learns about trading favors for money when she arrives in Memphis.   Encouraged by her success, Anna travels to Los Angeles, where she is introduced to Anger, “Mr. Big” (Ed Holmes), and the casting couch concept of success. Anna II is pulled away from her artwork, and trailing oxyacetylene hose across yards of stage, she torches Mr. Big’s office. Anna becomes successful and moves on to Philadelphia, but her contract forbids her to eat what she wants when she wants to, and she is continually tempted by Gluttony. Anna perseveres; her house is getting built – grinders spew sparks, torches flare, hammers on metal keep the beat of Anna’s obsession. In Boston Anna is kept by a wealthy man, but falls in love with another artist and discovers Lust. Anna I warns her sister about betraying her benefactor, but Anna’s love deafens her. Wealthy Edward makes a contract with an assassin; Anna’s lover is dead, her family cheers the assassin, and she moves on to Baltimore. Anna’s family reads about her success in the newspapers; they display their Covetousness as Anna grieves over the shards of her lost love, piously demanding even more of her as they sing: “Shameless hoarders give themselves a bad name.” In her final destination, San Francisco, Anna faces Envy. She envies all those who can engage in the sins she has been deprived of — those able to express anger, be proud, enjoy themselves freely, and love whom they love. But Anna II reminds Anna I that “we write […]

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The Crucible Collection Benefit Art Auction

Champagne Reception and Silent Auction Thursday, April 8th, 6:30pm – 8:30pm Organized with a sharp eye on the future, The Crucible Collection presented 10 contemporary artworks by some of the most renowned visual artists working today. This outstanding auction offering included sculptures in bronze and steel by internationally renowned artists Beverly Pepper and Albert Paley, as well as works by nationally acclaimed artists Bruce Beasley, Bella Feldman, Michael Hayden, Preston Jackson, Susan Kingsley, John Lewis, Randy Strong, and William Wareham.     “This important fundraiser will help to continue our programs like the Legends of Sculpture series that introduced many of the collection’s artists to our educational facility and its unique commitment to sculpture and the industrial arts. We are deeply thankful for the artists’ contributions and their belief in our mission.” Michael Sturtz, Founder and Executive Director of The Crucible   The public was invited to preview The Crucible Collection in person at A New Leaf Gallery / Sculpturesite in Berkeley through April 2, 2004 (scuplturesite.com). Silent Auction bids were accepted during previews, although bidders were encouraged to attend the reception to ensure success. The Crucible Collection Silent Auction and Champagne Reception is made possible by the generous support of the following co-sponsors: A New Leaf Gallery/Sculpturesite The International Sculpture Center The Oakland Museum of California   The Crucible Collection Art   Bruce Beasley’s interests in natural science and technology inspire him to construct dynamic sculptures that simultaneously expand into and envelop space. He achieves this through the repetitive use of planar crystalline forms acting as building blocks for the complex structures. His conceptions and designs are aided by a sophisticated, three-dimensional computer program that enables him to experiment with variations of an idea before actually building the components.   Bella Feldman’s deeply philosophical work challenges the viewer to shift their affiliations with familiar objects and icons. In her biological and mechanical works there is a persistent message of interconnectedness and a fierce yet formal beauty that is testament to the artist’s passion and skill. Feldman has participated in over fifty solo exhibitions including showings at The Oakland Museum of California, San Jose Museum of Art, the Fresno Art Museum and the Downey Museum and group shows in all parts of the US and in Switzerland.   For more than 30 years, Michael Hayden, has explored light as a medium, and it remains the most important and unifying component in his “Lumetric” sculptures. His work includes architectonic sculptures for public spaces, including “The Sky’s the Limit”, a monumental illuminated neon installation in the United Airlines Terminal at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, IL. Hayden collaborates with architects, designers, engineers, landscape architects, technicians, composers, poets, and other artists to create works that are large in scale and massive in scope, often measuring hundreds of feet and weighing multiple tons.   Distinguished artist and educator, Preston Jackson, uses representational imagery to symbolize and reflect current social and political policies. His sculptures often incorporate as themes issues concerning war, racism and our culture’s […]

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Dido and Aeneas – 2004 Fire Opera

The Crucible Celebrates its Fifth Anniversary in Style with a Fire Opera The roar of the furnace, the hush of the crowd: hundreds of faces turn towards the flickering candle held by Katherine Rohrer as she prepares to fill The Crucible’s cavernous interior with her powerful, heart-wrenching voice. So began Dido and Aeneas, The Crucible’s Fire Opera. Katherine Rohrer is one of the four opera soloists who left the luxury of the San Francisco Opera House to brave the bridge cranes, scissor lifts, molten metal, fire dancers, fork lifts and other sharp objects featured in the production’s revolutionary staging. The Crucible employed its unique resources to turn this baroque masterpiece, originally written by Henry Purcell in 1689 for a convent girl’s school, into a passionate, fiery spectacle that riveted even the youngest, hippest audience members to their seats.                 The story follows Dido, Queen of Carthage, who forsakes her royal obligations out of love for the Trojan hero Aeneas. When he abandons her after one night of ardor she cannot bear the heartbreak and impales herself on his spear. Purcell rendered the drama in delicate arias and choral laments, exquisitely performed by the four soloists and the well-known early music ensemble American Bach Soloists, conducted Jeffrey Thomas. The Crucible added texture to the tragedy, weaving elements of the school’s daily activities into the fabric of the tale. Glassworkers and welders depicted the industry of Carthage, while fireplay and the flying sparks of a grinder represented the mad descent into passion. The stage too was a work of art—no velvet curtains here. The area usually occupied by The Crucible’s metal shop became a custom-built seventy-five foot panoramic stage with an orchestra pit in the middle, flanked by installations from Bay Area sculptors Michael Christian and Kiki Pettit. Set before a row of red welding screens and the boxy metallic arches of the ventilation system, the impression was one of an industrial fairytale.       Produced and designed by The Crucible’s own Michael Sturtz, and directed by San Francisco Opera Associate Director Roy Rallo, the entire production was a collaboration between artistic genres that would scarcely nod as they passed each other in the street, much less work side by side. Yet the result was an original performance where contrasts became compliments and the performers were just as invigorated as the audience. “It was a terrific experience,” said Ms. Rohrer, “the arts truly combined to enlighten and project the human condition and spirit. As a singer and actress I was in awe of the other artists and felt blessed to be there and a part of this project.”   Audiences on both nights of the sold-out celebration were also treated to post-show entertainment. On the Opera Premier on Friday, the main bay of The Crucible was filled with metal, glass, ceramic, and neon art. Bathed in soft red light, delicate glass bowls and cast metal jewelry vied for attention in a silent auction that […]

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Illuminated Sculpture – Ohlone

Illuminated Sculpture from the Crucible Showing at The Louie Art Gallery, Ohlone College 43600 Mission Boulevard, Fremont CA January 29 through February 27, 2004 A growing art form, Illuminated Sculpture From The Crucible represented 18 of the Bay Area’s most innovative artists. Curated by The Crucible’s own Christian Schiess, Head of the Neon Department, this exhibit explored of a variety of artistic disciplines, from welding to neon, foundry to found art. The opening reception on February 11 at the Louie Meager Art Gallery at Ohlone College in Fremont featured Michael Sturtz, The Crucible’s Founder and Executive Director. With humor and passion Michael outlined the history, development and direction of The Crucible from its inception five years ago. He ended his presentation with an invitation to the Ohlone College community to attend The Crucible’s Spring Open House and Student Art Show and Sale on April 3rd. Margaret Stainer the Gallery Director has scheduled a tour bus transport from the Ohlone Campus to The Crucible on April 3rd. For further information please contact Gallery Director Margaret Stainer or contact Guest Curator Christian Schiess at The Crucible.

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Lecture Series – Beverly Pepper

Beverly Pepper Sculpture, Abstraction, Steel & Environment A Retrospective by the Internationally Renowned Sculptor On Sunday, October 12th, The Crucible welcomed celebrated artist Beverly Pepper to the Bay Area for a lively lecture, a Meet-the-Artist reception, and a live bronze pour of one of her sculptures. Coming from Italy to present at The Crucible, Beverly Pepper is internationally respected as an abstract metal sculptor whose work is informed by the forms and forces of the natural world. The evening began with the Meet-the-Artist reception, drawing art supporters from across the Bay Area. The furnace roared with the preparation for the bronze pour as guests mingled, chatted and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres prepared by Jacqueline Burns Catering, and sipped drinks donated by the Four Vines Winery. As the sun set, The Crucible’s foundry team turned up the heat on the furnace holding a crucible full of molten bronze, ready to be transformed into a work of art. At 6:15pm, the team gave the ready signal, and guests clustered around the foundry area to witness the first major bronze pour in the Crucible’s Oakland facility. The furnace used for the pour is one of two donated by the art department at the University of California at Berkeley. These furnaces and the massive overhead crane are some of the key components in the build out of a world-class foundry at The Crucible facility. With the continued generous support from our members and donors The Crucible will complete its industrial foundry, enabling high-end casting commissions and vocational training opportunities. As guests watched eagerly, the molten metal began to flow, illuminating the night with a lambent glow. Beverly stood front and center, watching as her piece became reality. The pour culminated with Executive Director Michael Sturtz welcoming Beverly to the Bay Area, and thanking the guests for their support of The Crucible. As the metal cooled in the mold, the audience moved to the lecture hall for the main feature of the evening, a retrospective lecture by Beverly. The lecture was the second in The Crucible’s Legends of Sculpture lecture series, a lively program featuring world-renowned artists who present their work and answer questions about the processes and techniques they use to produce their art. Beverly showed slides illuminating her work from the beginning of her career to present day. Over 150 members of the community came to hear her speak, and Beverly’s engaging and warm presentation offered insight and advice from over 40 years of her very active career as an artist. With anecdotes about the early days working in the steel industry, to inside views about the thought processes, planning, creative thinking and fabrication challenges inherent in creating large-scale public art, Beverly held the audience enthralled with slides from locations throughout the world where her monumental, site-specific works enhance public squares, parks, sculpture gardens and busy walkways. Beverly’s outdoor environmental projects are a collaboration with the landscape and are on permanent display around the globe. Art – engaged in solving environmental problems – has […]

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