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.
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
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.
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!
Browse Past In-person Events
2015 Soirée Auction Preview
2015 Soirée Auction Preview You’ll want to have your paddle at the ready to bid on these gorgeous, masterful pieces of art at our Live Auction. Feeling shy? Not to worry – we have several beautiful pieces up for Silent Auction as well. 2015 Live Auction Preview 1. Cliff Bohm – Rustic Chef’s Knife 2014 Steel, ebony, stainless steel 13.5 ” x 2.5″ x .625″ Opening Bid: $140 Cliff Bohm finds beauty in juxtaposition of polished steal next to the rough “unspoiled” textures generated by the forging process. He strives to create well crafted objects with the appealing design that possess a timeless quality. 2. Nick DiPhillipo – Conclave 2004 Bronze 12″ x 12″ x 9″ Opening Bid: $380 Nick DiPhillipo is the Foundry department head at The Crucible as well as Casting Director at Artworks Foundry in Berkeley. After first being introduced to metal casting at Paolo Soleri’s Wind Chime Foundry in Arcosanti, Arizona, he has spent the last 35 years casting objects of his own design including vessels, lamps, and bells. 3. Randy Strong – Red & Black Ribbon Sculpture 2013 Hot sculpted glass 25″ x 5.5″ x 4″ Opening Bid: $475 Randy Strong is one of a handful of the early pioneering American Glass Artists. Winner of the juried 2005 and 2008 Niche award for blown glass. Randy Strong produces innovative designs in glass that continually influence the ever changing and growing community of studio glass artists. 4. Daniel Stauber – Two Sides of Mind #4 2014 Glass, steel 26.5″ x 17.5″ x 7.75″ Opening Bid: $600 Daniel Stauber studied and now teaches glass at The Crucible. His work strives to both attract and repel, to reflect the polarities of life, and attempts to combine opposition to create emotionally stirring work. Daniel draws inspiration from the unconscious, and views art as the most sincere human endeavor. 5. Christian Schiess – Prosthetic Repairs to an Injured Environment #CII 2005 Machined metal, plexiglass, paint, podocarpus wood elements, stainless steel hardware, fluorescent light with remote control 39″ x 12″ x 12″ Opening Bid: $900 Christian Schiess is a San Francisco Bay area artist originally from New Mexico. His education spans several disciplines and institutions that include a B.A. from Univ. of New Mexico-Albuquerque, in Anthropology; a B.F.A. in Visual Arts from the Univ. of San Francisco, and an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Mills College. Additionally, he completed a Fulbright Fellowship at the Royal College of Art in London. His awards include a grant from the Pollock- Krasner Foundation, an NEA/AFI Grant, three NEA/Western States Regional Media Arts Fellowships, several artist-in-residencies including the Exploratorium, and the Bristol Exploratory, England. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally and currently he is on the faculty and Dept. Head of the Neon and Light Art Departments at The Crucible. www.christianschiess.com 6. Gregg Hessel – Copper Candlesticks (Original Collection) 2015 Copper Varied; 5″– 21″ tall Opening Bid: $875 Gregg Hessel was raised by an artist and a crafts historian and is self taught in metal. Hessel studios is a small California studio employing skilled craftsmen […]
Fire & Light Soiree – 2015
Saturday, April 18, 6pm Cocktails | Dinner | Performance | Live Art Auction | After Party Supporting The Crucible’s Education Programs Spend this special evening celebrating art, industry, community, and the creative fire! Join us in recognizing the innovation and vision of the evening’s honoree, Autodesk CEO Carl Bass. In addition to a delectable dinner and a one-of-a-kind live art auction, guests will be treated to a world premiere performance by San Francisco’s Capacitor, an award-winning dance company that blends tradition with technology. Join Us! Meet Carl Bass, our 2015 honoree Carl Bass is president and chief executive officer of Autodesk, a leader in 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software. Bass co-founded Ithaca Software, which was acquired by Autodesk in 1993. Since joining the company, he has held several executive positions including chief technology officer and chief operations officer. Bass serves on the boards of directors of Autodesk, Quirky and E2open and on the board of trustees of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. He is also a maker and spends his spare time building things—from chairs and tables to boats, and most recently, an electric go-kart. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Cornell University. WAIT LIST This event is now SOLD OUT. If you would like to join a wait list in case of any cancellations, please call (510) 444-0919 x 119 or email Sheri Kuehl. Soirée Gold Sponsor Bain & Company Soirée Silver Sponsors and Host Committee AB&I Foundry – Kevin Doran Autodesk Warren Breslau and Frances Hellman James Madsen and Eddie Orton NetTempo, Inc. Renée Ventimiglia Soirée Bronze Sponsors and Host Committee AB&I Recyclable Materials Department – James T. Ray Lauren and Steve Adams American Foundry Society – Northern California Chapter CASS, Inc. – Official Metal Recycling Partner of The Crucible Jeremy Crandell Lori and Skip Fogarty Ann and Shawn Fischer Hecht Elizabeth Mumm Meier Charles Olson and Yoko Watanabe Pacific Pinball Museum Leslie Pritchett Schnitzer Steel Industries David Shulman
2015 Fire & Light Soiree Gala Photo Gallery
Thanks to everyone who joined us at The Crucible’s 2015 Fire & Light Soirée. It was a fabulous night of art, fire, friendship… and fundraising! We surpassed our financial goal for the evening, raising $215,000 for Crucible programs, including $78,000 for youth programs and scholarships. Below are just a few snapshots of last year’s memorable Soirée! Click on each image to enlarge. Save the date! On Saturday, April 9 we celebrate the vision of special guests and honorees at The Crucible’s Fire & Light Soirée 2016. For table reservations or sponsorships, please contact Sheri Kuehl, Development Director, at [email protected] or (510) 444-0919 x119.
Meet Hot Couture designer Domonique Echeverria
Meet Hot Couture designer Domonique Echeverria San Francisco born designer Domonique Echeverria mixes romantic divinity with future tribalism, a nod to the past, and an ode to female power. Now based in New York City, her approach to Hot Couture this year includes chiffon gowns, headdresses, taffeta statement pieces, body harnesses and necessary outerwear for harsh weather and hiding treasures. The chiffon will mimic the flow of water and the details will mimic Aquatic Priestesses, the tafeta will mimic the folds and hills of the earth, organzas will be incorporated to give a light feel of air along with beaded rain, and detailing of feathers and body accents will allow the feeling of fire. Learn more about Hot Couture here.
Glass Artist Guido Gerlitz Demo & Lecture
Sunday October 19th 11:30am lecture and slide show 1:00 pm begin several hours of hot shop demonstrations Guido received his BFA in Glass & Ceramics from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1993 and MFA in Glass from the California College of the Arts in 2004. He has international glassblowing experience, working in Venezuela at ICET and on Murano for Vetreria Pino Signoretto. He has worked as an independent gaffer for artists: Oben Abright, Kanik Chung, Bella Feldman, Linda Flemming, Jaime Guerrero, and Maria Porges. In addition has gaffed for: Union Street Glass Inc., Nikolas Weinstein Studios, Cohn-Stone Studios, Pilchuck Glass School. He served as the Executive Director of Public Glass in San Francisco for two years. In 2012-2013 Guido was a Senior Lecturer / Instructor for Glass III at the California College of the Arts. He is the co-founder and President of ‘Effetto Glassworks’ in Richmond, CA. This free event is underwritten by the Glass Alliance of Northern California.
Fireside Lounge 10/10/2014
Fireside Lounge: Innovation & Improvisation Featuring the artistry of Sung Kim Friday, October 10 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm $10 at the door. Free for Crucible members. Meet Sung Kim Sung Kim is a Bay Area based sculptor, improviser, and instrument maker. We are excited to host Sung and special guest David Dupuis as part of his artist residency at Studio Grand in Oakland. While studying art in 1989, Sung first tried to modify a guitar to capture a sound he was imagining… and his imagination has continued ever since. Sung will be displaying, discussing, demonstrating, and performing with his unique instruments, resonators, and acoustic devices, beautifully hand-crafted out of wood, steel, and more. Sung has been a frequent guest at Exploratorium events and has appeared at Maker Faires. We are excited to welcome him for his first-ever Crucible appearance! This program is presented in collaboration with Studio Grand, 3234 Grand Avenue, Oakland Firepit, $25 class discounts, glass demos & gallery Will will also feature demonstrations (submission guidelines) and display of Crucible glass and enameling work in our studios, including glass blowing, glass flameworking, glass fusing and slumping, enameling, and glass casting and coldworking. We will offer $25 discounts on classes during this Fireside Lounge, and of course, members always save 10% off tuition. The Fireside Lounge is a chance to catch up with the Crucible community, see what creative mischief folks are up to, and maybe think over that project you have in mind. We’ll have live music, demonstrations in our glass studios, a gallery, and our brand new industrial fire-pit will be up and running along with vendors, food and drink. We hope to see you there! Learn more about Sung Kim Sung Kim is an improvisor, sculptor, and an instrument builder born in Seoul, Korea and raised in Washington, DC. In 1989, Kim studied ceramic sculpture at the Corcoran School of Art. It was here that Kim started building his own variations of the guitar. Kim received his BFA in sculpture from The Art Institute of Chicago in 1999. It was in Chicago where Kim began to deviate from the guitar to explore other techniques, tonalities, and sympathetic resonance. It was also in Chicago where Kim started his collaboration with musicians to explore his instruments in an improvisational context. Kim facilitates his musical and sculptural endeavors by owning and operating an architectural woodworking design/build studio in the San Francisco Bay Area. More images from Sung Kim’s Workshop
Bike Fix-A-Thon – Sunday, August 31, 2014
Got a bike that needs a fix? Let us help! The Crucible’s Bike Fix-A-Thon mechanics will get you back on your wheels again During Bike Fix-A-Thons, Crucible faculty and volunteers create a bike repair studio by opening our roll-up doors at the back of the building facing West Oakland neighborhood homes. Mechanics work at six work stations, each customized to examine and repair bicycles. Mechanics explain their work as they help you, deepening your understanding of bike repair and maintenance. The repairs include patching and replacing tubes, wheel and tire work, cable and gear repairs, chain repair and replacement, and seat and handlebar adjustments. Volunteer bicycle mechanics are needed! Please email [email protected] if you want to help out. You’ll be rewarded with a coupon for 10% off any Crucible class, free pizza and soda, and of course, the gratification of having helped the West Oakland community get rolling again. The Fix-A-Thons are a direct way to serve the needs of the West Oakland youth, providing them functioning bicycles and a greater knowledge of bike repair, and also strengthen The Crucible’s relationship with the local community, connecting with both the youth and their families. The workshops are also an opportunity for participants to tour The Crucible, learning more about other art classes and opportunities. The Crucible’s Bike Fix-A-Thon Sunday August 31, 2014 Noon to 5 pm The Crucible, 1260 7th St, Oakland, CA FREE to West Oakland residents, with priority given to youth
East Bay Mini Maker Faire Meetup & Project Sneak Peek
If you just can’t wait for the East Bay Mini Maker Faire (coming to Oakland on October 14, 2014), then come on down to The Crucible on July 29, 2014 to hang out in our studios and meet a few local makers who will be presenting some of the projects they are working on ahead of the faire. The event will begin at 6:30 pm with a tour of the our 56,000 sq foot warehouse and studios. East Bay Mini Maker Faire organizer, Sabrina Merlo, will start off the Town Hall speaking about the faire which celebrates its fifth year in 2014. Project presentations will follow. Throughout the event guests can enjoy a complimentary bar inside, and there are even rumors of a food truck joining the party outside. After the presentations there will be time for mixing with the wonderful maker community, so bring your curiosity and ideas and join us for a sneak preview of one of the East Bay’s coolest annual happenings. East Bay Mini Maker Faire Kick-Off and Meetup Tuesday, July 29, 2014 6:30-9:30 pm The Crucible, 1260 7th St, Oakland
Youth On Fire: Fireside Lounge
The Crucible’s Fireside Lounge is an intimate evening of art, industry, community, and entertainment. This exclusive engagement takes place in The Crucible’s studio and highlights our extraordinary art programs. Bring the whole family to explore the creative passions of young artists and the educational opportunities available at The Crucible, including summer camp classes, internships, and apprenticeship programs. Public Art Project: Come see students from Local Oakland high schools in action as they create a kinetic bicycle welded sculpture. Apprentice Program: Unveiling of the City Slicker Project designed by our youth apprentices. Youth Poet Laureates: Join finalists from the Oakland Youth Poet Laureate program and current Laureate, Sophie Elkin, for a spectacular night of youth poetry. Participating Departments: Foundry Moldmaking Welding Blacksmithing Bike Textiles Wood
Call for Art: The Crucible’s Fireside Lounge
Art show: Precious Metal On Friday, May 9th The Crucible is hosting an art exhibition largely featuring our metal departments. This Fireside Lounge will focus its demonstrations on foundry, kinetics and electronics, machining, hot wheels, bikes, welding (MIG, TIG, Oxy, Stick), paper & textiles, and fire effects. If you work in any of these media please submit your art for the event’s art exhibit in the central event space. The submission process is open to anyone involved with The Crucible: students, faculty, volunteers, studio renters, Create Program members, staff, etc. The deadline for submitting art is Sunday, May 4th, at midnight. The submission form is attached, available in the office and online on the fireside lounge page. The important times and dates are below. [email protected] if you require an alternative drop off time. Thank you. We look forward to seeing your artwork on display at The Crucible’s Fireside Lounge Art Show: Precious Metal. Important Dates Sunday May 4th Submission Deadline midnight Tuesday May 6th Acceptance notification Wednesday May 7th Art Drop off 4-8pm Thursday May 8th Art Drop off 10am-2pm Friday May 9th Fireside Lounge Exhibit 6:30-9:30pm Friday May 9th Art Pick up 9:30-10pm Saturday May 10th Art Pick up 10am-12pm
Watch Past Virtual Events
Virtual Artist Talk: Rob Nehring
Please join us Friday, June 5, for our next virtual artist talk with Crucible faculty member, Rob Nehring, of our Welding Department. Rob has been a part of The Crucible community...
Virtual Artist Talk: Nico Chen
Please join us Friday, May 22 for our next virtual artist talk. We’ll be speaking with Nico Chen, writer, photographer, and critical learning scientist focused on reimagining...
Virtual Artist Talk: Lara Hopwood
During this Virtual Artist Talk, Oakland artist and fire performer, Lara Hopwood will discuss her early introduction to fire dance, how she goes about planning a fire performance,...
Virtual Artist Talk: Whimsical and Functional Glass With Sam Schumacher
During this Virtual Artist Talk, Oakland artist and founder of Rocket Glass Works, Sam Schumacher will discuss the inspiration behind his glass work....
Virtual Artist Talk: Creating Culture Through Ceramics With Rosa Dorantes
Please join us this Friday for a virtual artist talk with Oakland artist, Rosa Dorantes, an accomplished ceramist with over twenty years of experience. Since Rosa became The...
Virtual Artist Talk: Metalworking Beyond Borders With Karen Smith
Please join us this Friday for a virtual artist talk with Oakland artist, Karen Smith. We'll discuss her philosophy on art-making, how it influences her artistry and metalwork, and...
Virtual Artist Talk: Repujado History, Family, and Culture
Join The Crucible for our first-ever virtual artist talk with Oakland repujado artist, Rachel-Anne Palacios. We'll discuss her metal embossing practice and how her work reflects...