Crucible member and volunteer Robert Graf is a self-identified problem solver. He has taken classes in fourteen of our nineteen departments since 2014, including Blacksmithing, Glass Flameworking, Machine Shop, and his personal favorite, Neon & Light. For Robert, every failed project is an opportunity to improve his skills.
This has been an especially challenging year for makers and small businesses. So we knew it was important to continue our 17-year-long tradition of GIFTY, our annual craft show. But this year, for the first time, GIFTY is going virtual. Starting November 9, we'll be highlighting over 80 Bay Area makers and small businesses selling things like original jewelry, handcrafted soaps, sculpted glassware, and so much more.
When Abisola Coretta began her Ph.D. program, she had never heard of The Crucible. “Speaking with a professor at Stanford, they mentioned The Crucible as being a really cool maker space, so I came on a tour.” During her first visit, Abisola spent more than two hours speaking with our faculty about their process, our mission, and The Crucible’s influence in the Bay Area maker community.
Former faculty Etai Rahmil launched a Kickstarter for Pure Over, an all-glass pour-over coffee maker, that will support The Crucible as the company grows.
Masks. They’re on everybody’s minds (and faces) these days and they aren’t going anywhere for a while. A recent study by The Lancet found that wearing a mask reduces your risk of infection from 17.4% to just 3.1%. In reopening The Crucible, we’ve instituted a number of new health and safety policies, including mandatory masks wearing in the studio.
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.
Camp at The Crucible has officially kicked off! Stay up to date on all the cool projects by our students in our 2020 Youth Summer Camp Photos!
Like most things, we weren’t sure our Fuego Youth Leadership Program would run this summer. But with modifications to shelter-in-place orders, the introduction of new health and safety guidelines in our studio, and funding from our program sponsors, we’re excited to announce we’re moving forward with a streamlined version.
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 since the early 2000s when he traveled from Chicago to take his first class. Since then, Rob has held all kinds of positions within our organization, from volunteer to Director of Programs. We’ll discuss Rob’s body of work and the importance of using recycled materials to create his sculptures.
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 education through language. Nico is a Ph.D. student in the Teaching and Learning Department at NYU Steinhardt and the Fuego Youth Leadership Coordinator at The Crucible.