On Thursday, July 28, eight high school students gathered on the main floor of The Crucible, buzzing with excitement and nerves. In just a few short hours their guests would arrive and the show would begin.
Each year, during our four-week Fuego Youth Leadership Program, high school students work with a faculty mentor to deepen their industrial art knowledge in a specific department and create a final project that exemplifies what they’ve learned.
This summer, after two years of pandemic-altered programming, we welcomed ten new and returning high school students to The Crucible for our annual four-week Fuego Youth Leadership program.
In 2016, just before his freshman year of high school, Ben Lockwood-Johnston took his first Crucible class—Youth Blacksmithing Immersion. Over the next couple of years, he explored techniques in jewelry, glass blowing, welding, and beyond, but nothing captured his attention like swinging a hammer in the Smithy.
This week, eleven high school students came together at The Crucible to begin their four-week Furgo Youth leadership Program. The program, now in its thirteenth year, is an opportunity for Bay Area teens to expand their industrial arts skills under the guidance of a mentor while also supporting Youth Summer Camp instructors in the classroom.
As C’Zarriah Davis-Smith turns on the gas line and gathers her glass frit, a sense of calm falls over the flameworking studio. It’s a feeling often found in the presence of someone who loves what they do. And 18-year-old C’Zarriah loves working in glass.
Join us live on Zoom for our 2021 virtual Fuego Youth Leadership Reception on Thursday, July 29 starting at 6:30pm PDT.
2020; it’s a year we won’t soon forget. A year that impacted our entire community, friends, families, and neighbors. But it was also a testament to the dedication of The Crucible’s staff, faculty, and volunteers. When we closed our doors in March we had no idea what this year would look like, but our team stood by and stepped up, adjusting to new studio practices, leading our modified classes, and sharing their creativity with youth and adult students from around the Bay Area.
Join us for our 2020 Fuego Youth Leadership Reception and celebrate the work and accomplishments of our second-year Fuego Leaders.
Two years after taking his first Crucible class, Simha Furaha stepped into the Hot Shop and fell in love with Glass Blowing. From 2018-19, he was a Fuego Youth Leader in that department, helping summer camp instructors teach youth students while also working on his craft with a mentor.