Special Events

Castaways to Treasures: Jewelry Sale

2018-03-01T14:13:18-08:00

Join the Women’s Jewelry Association’s members and friends at The Crucible for a jewelry makers and manufacturers’ sale to find goodies from past collections, pearls, gemstones, findings, beads, tools and equipment at hugely discounted prices.

Saturday, July 20, 2013
Noon to 4 pm
The Crucible, 1260 7th St., Oakland
Admission: $5 

WJA members of designers, manufacturers, and store owners have treasure troves of leftover merchandise, and they are ready to sell at crazy sale prices. Bring your friends and get ready for fantastic deals.

Vendors include:

 


Event Location & Directions

The Crucible
1260 7th Street
Oakland, CA 94607

>> Directions

Parking

The Crucible has a very small parking lot on the corner of 7th & Union that will be available for disabled placard parking only. Those spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There are also two paid parking lots. One is on Kirkham Avenue and the other is the 5th Street lot by BART. Please do not park in lots owned by local businesses or the residential area behind The Crucible.

Public Transit

Ditch the car and don’t worry about parking – The Crucible is easily accessible by BART! From the West Oakland BART Station, exit onto 7th Street, turn right, and walk 2 blocks east to Union (at the 2nd light). The Crucible is on the northwest corner of 7th & Union, at 1260 7th Street.

 

Castaways to Treasures: Jewelry Sale2018-03-01T14:13:18-08:00

Past Events

2018-03-08T15:13:55-08:00

2013

2013 Playa Bound: Sale & Open House

June 22, 2013
11am to 6pm
FREE

Our annual Playa Bound Open House is a wonderful way for the whole family to wander through our 56,000 sq. ft. studio and a maze of vendors with handmade crafts, desert costumes, camping supplies, playa bikes, shade ideas, and leave-no-trace education. Catch fiery performances as you support local artists, community arts education for youth and adults, and work your way through that Black Rock City shopping list. 

 

 

East Bay Open Studios 2013

June 1-2 and June 8-9, 2013
Open Studios: 11am to 6pm
Tours: 12 noon, 4pm
FREE

The Crucible is participating in this year’s East Bay Open Studios, presented annually by ProArts Gallery. Featured artists include Barbara Barnett, Peter Kropf, Johanna Neaderhouser, Rob Nehring, Alexander Smith, Daniel Stauber, Sam Waller and Mary B. White. The Crucible will also lead two studio tours at 12 noon and at 4pm.

 

 

Talk with Hugh Jenkins: Explorations in Efficient Glass Studio Operations

May 31, 2013
6:30-9 pm
FREE

Could blowing glass cost you less and be more environmentally friendly? Join Hugh Jenkins, renowned Hawaiian glass art educator, artist and expert in glass studio efficiency, to learn tips for use of renewable energy, alternative fuels such as reclaimed cooking oil and energy efficiency in a glass hot shop.

Maker Faire 2013: The Crucible’s Fire Town

Saturday, May 18, 2013 – 10am to 8pm
Sunday, May 19, 2013 – 10am to 6pm

$30 single day. $55 weekend pass.

At Maker Faire 2013 in San Mateo, The Crucible will present dynamic demonstrations in blacksmithing, glass blowing, foundry metal pouring, art bikes frame alterations, jewelry making and eye catching fire poofers towering in the sky. Don’t miss The Crucible’s Fire Town located at Booth SL30!

Maker Faire is the annual two-day, family friendly celebration of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.

 

Fireside Lounge: Creation

May 10, 2013
6:30-9:30pm

Our next Fireside Lounge leads us to explore creation and how ideas move from concept into creative expression. We will explore processes that makes creation simple. We will discuss and demystify how to do-it- yourself, Crucible style, inspiring creativity in everyone. In collaboration with Maker Month, The Crucible celebrates creation with a spectacular evening.

Read more…

 

Artifact: The Crucible at the Asian Art Museum

Fridays– Sundays, March 15–May 5, 2013
Noon to 4pm
Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco

What would you take to the afterlife? The Crucible, in partnership with UC Berkeley’s Archaeology Research Facility

Past Events2018-03-08T15:13:55-08:00

East Bay Open Studios 2013

2018-03-01T14:35:17-08:00

The Crucible is participating in the 2013 East Bay Open Studios, presented annually by Pro Arts Gallery.

Our featured artists are

Barbara Barnett, Peter Kropf, Johanna Neaderhouser, Rob Nehring, Alexander Smith, Daniel Stauber, Sam Waller and Mary B. White. Read about their work below and come join them on June 1-2 and June 8-9 at our studio. 

The Crucible will also offer two

studio tours at noon and 4pm

Barbara Barnett

Barbara has been an artist most of her life but only recently began working in glass. In 2007, she started working with stained glass and moved through kiln formed glass to cast glass after taking a class at The Crucible in Oakland, CA.  Her work reflects the natural world she sees around her, combining her love of nature and a passion for art. Creating a glass sculpture starting with a clay or wax model is always a journey of discovery.  Her geeky side loves the physics of glass, the problem solving, and the complexity of the process.  Her emotional side loves the observation and discovery of the form, the surprise at the outcome, and discovering new aspects of myself through the process.

Website: barbarabarnettglass.com

 

 

Peter Kropf

Peter Kropf is fascinated with all forms of fire and its ability to transform. He creates sculptures with a variety of materials, and often seeks to include fire as a focal point. He is always looking for different and interesting ways to share his joy of fire with the community at large. Peter can often be found at The Crucible working as a Senior Studio Manager and setting pyrotechnic effects for Crucible productions. In his spare time, he is known to drag chaos through their IT Department.

Website: practicalfirearts.com

 

 

Johanna Neaderhouser

Johanna Neaderhouser has been a woodworker since 2010 having enrolled in the Distance Mastery Program at the Northwest Woodworking Studio. She has recently started teaching woodworking classes at The Crucible.

 

Rob Nehring

Rob Nehring received his BFA from the University of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in Inter-arts, which included theatre, dance and sculpture. After professionally dancing for 17 years and 18 years in the candy business, he dropped everything to take a class at The Crucible. Driven by the definition of sculpture as “something you back into when looking at a painting,” he strives to produce thought-provoking, yet whimsical work in three dimensions. An accomplished artist, Rob’s sculptures are in galleries and private collections throughout the United States. His sculptures are created from 99% recycled materials. Through found scrap materials, Rob lets the materials dictate what they will become. Rob runs Rusty Noodle Studios, teaches and is the Adult Program Director at The Crucible.

Website:

East Bay Open Studios 20132018-03-01T14:35:17-08:00

Hugh Jenkins: Explorations in Efficient Glass Studio Operation

2018-03-08T13:13:17-08:00

 

Could blowing glass cost you less and be more environmentally friendly? 


Join Hugh Jenkins, renowned Hawaiian glass art educator, artist and expert in glass studio efficiency, to learn tips for use of renewable energy, alternative fuels such as reclaimed cooking oil and energy efficiency in a glass hot shop.

Friday, May 31, 2013
6:30-9 pm
The Crucible, 1260 7th Street, Oakland, CA
FREE

Hugh Jenkins’s studio, Big Island Glass, is considered a nationally leading glass shop in the use of renewable energy, reclaimed cooking oil and energy efficiency.  Hugh has consulted and assisted hot studios with energy efficiency throughout the US. He is in the Bay Area retuning Lee Meltier’s furnace for higher efficiency and has graciously agreed to share his information on recuperation, his innovative use of bio fuels and other techniques with our community.

    • 6:30-7:30 pm  Potluck (please bring a dish to share)
    • 7:30-8:30 pm  Hugh Jenkins presentation
    • 8:30-9:00 pm  Q&A and discussion

This event is free, open to the public and co-sponsored by The Crucible and BioGlass.org. BioGlass’s mission is to feature research, development and community resources for eco-efficient glass studio techniques, which simultaneously assists glass artists to make more profit and protect the environment.

Hugh Jenkins and Stephanie Ross, a husband and wife team of Big Island Glass Gallery, have blown glass on the Big Island of Hawaii since 1999, after leaving long teaching careers in Honolulu, Stephanie at Holy Nativity and Hugh at Punahou School. Since 2001 they have collaborated in their home based studio in Honoka’a.  They established Big Island Glass Gallery in 2004.   It is located in the old sugar plantation town of Honoka’a, on the Hamakua coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i. Paintings and fine crafts by other local artists are also featured.  In their glass, Hugh and Stephanie work in response to their surroundings and reflect the ever-changing water, volcano, forest, landscape, and climate of the Big Island.

Questions? Please contact Mary White at 510 847-4916 or mwhiteglass@gmail.com

Event Location & Directions

The Crucible
1260 7th Street
Oakland, CA 94607

>> Directions

Parking

The Crucible has a very small parking lot on the corner of 7th & Union that will be available for disabled placard parking only. Those spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There are also two paid parking lots. One is on Kirkham Avenue and the other is the 5th Street lot by BART. Please do not park in lots owned by local businesses or the residential area behind The Crucible.

Public Transit

Ditch the car and don’t worry about parking – The Crucible

Hugh Jenkins: Explorations in Efficient Glass Studio Operation2018-03-08T13:13:17-08:00

Artifact: The Crucible at the Asian Art Museum

2018-03-01T13:51:11-08:00

Artifact: The Crucible at the Asian Art Museum

Fridays–Sundays, March 15–May 5, 2013
Noon to 4pm
Asian Art Museum, Ground Floor, Resource Room, Vinson Nook
200 Larkin Street, San Francisco
FREE with museum admission

What would you take to the afterlife? The Crucible in partnership with UC Berkeley’s Archaeology Research Facility (A.R.F.), is excited to tackle this ancient question in the San Francisco Asian Art Museum’s series, “Asia Alive,”a free, interactive, all ages program featuring live art demonstrations, hands-on activities and discussions

The series focuses on the museum’s exhibition, “China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy,” which explores the young Emperor’s worldview, enduring influence and fixation on the afterlife. Although he died in 210 BCE, his legacy lives on through his terracotta warriors. 

The Crucible invites you to reflect on your own life using imagination and skill, transforming timeless raw materials with the stamp of your own individuality. Participants will investigate ancient artistic techniques used for creating afterlife treasures, including glass fusing jewelry, ceramics, and hammering to create their own afterlife pendant.

  • Copper charms: Copper, a common material in this exhibition, was used throughout history. Starting with a piece of raw copper, you will use letters and decorative stamping as embellishments to create an artifact that will function as a charm for a keychain or pendant for a necklace.
  • Art Clay Copper: This innovative material, Art Clay Copper, looks, feels and works like ordinary clay, but when fired in a kiln or with a torch its clay binders burn off, leaving 99.9% pure copper. Today, you will make an artifact by manipulating copper clay through rolling and fashioning texture to create a unique charm. Art Clay Copper donated by Art Clay World, USA.
  • Moldmaking: The terracotta warriors were among the earliest examples of the use of sophisticated reproduction methods. Moldmaking is the most common technique used for reproduction. Starting with clay, you will fashion an artifact that will then be vacuum molded to produce a symbolic negative copy in plastic.
  • Video footage from renowned Crucible faculty, including foundry artist Nick DiPhillipo and blacksmith artist Carla Hallround out the series. 

Artifact is a phenomenal opportunity to explore the First Emperor’s life in a hands-on, community oriented fashion. Between archaeological discussions, artistic explorations, and your own reflections about the afterlife, Asia Alive is sure to inspire creativity in everyone.

Artifact: The Crucible at the Asian Art Museum2018-03-01T13:51:11-08:00

50 Years of American Studio Glass

2018-03-08T15:03:09-08:00

Saturday, Nov 10 and Sunday November 11 – 10am to 6pm
Saturday, Nov 10 – 6-9pm

This year marks the 50-year anniversary of the Studio Glass movement in the United States. Come join us in celebrating California artists’ contributions to the studio glass movement on November 10th and 11th at the Crucible in Oakland, CA.

Click here to visit the official event website.

This Crucible event is part of a national movement to celebrate this anniversary. The program follows the tradition of the California Glass Exchanges. San Jose State University glass instructor Dr. Fritz and his student George Jercich started the Glass Exchange with the goal of gathering the California glass community together to share skills and techniques.

 

PROGRAM
Saturday, Nov 10 and Sunday November 11 – 10am to 6pm

EXHIBITION RECEPTION AND AWARD CEREMONY
Saturday, Nov 10 – 6-9pm

KEYNOTES
Suellen Fowler, Marvin Lipofsky, Richard Marquis, Susan Stimsmuehlen-Amend

 

  • Demonstrations in the Crucible’s six glass studios: blowing, cold working, fusing, casting, neon and flame working areas.
  • Panels and lectures featuring California glass artists who began working in each decade.
  • Two-day Pop up exhibition of California glass artists 10-5 pm.
  • Reception and Awards ceremony honoring contributions to the California glass community is scheduled for 6-9 pm Saturday Nov. 10. Honoring collectors, including Dorothy Saxe and artists who have contributed to our movement.
  • Add your information to the “Living Glass Timeline” that will be created during the two-day event. We welcome glass artists of all decades who have worked in California to download and complete a Registration Form for inclusion on ourDirectory of California Glass Artists. See our website below.

 

 

Partially Sponsored by: The Crucible, The Glass Alliance of Northern California, the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, Denny Abrams, the Glass Art Society, and the Clay and Glass Arts Foundation.

Studio Glass Movement

The studio glass movement was founded in 1962, when artist Harvey Littleton gathered a group of artists, craftspeople, scientists and scholars at the Toledo Museum of Art for a series of hot glass workshops that demonstrated that glass could be made into art in the artist’s studio rather than in an industrial setting. At the same time, starting in 1962, glass art classes and programs began to be established at colleges and universities in California. Come help us celebrate the history and future of California glass artists and innovators.

Teaching the History

Make this 50-year anniversary part of your curriculum for this semester. The Oakland Museum and California College of the Arts are also sponsoring exhibitions and events to celebrate this anniversary and California glass artists. Keep an eye on our website. We will be adding additional links and resources in the coming weeks to help you highlight other events celebrating the American Studio Glass movement.

The Crucible
1260 7th Street
Oakland, CA 95607

www.theCrucible.org

50 Years of American Studio Glass2018-03-08T15:03:09-08:00

Peralta Junction

2018-03-15T11:01:04-07:00

A Pop-Up Creative Commons in West Oakland featuring Art, Food Trucks, Performances, People & Pumpkins.

Beginning October 4, 2012, the 24,000 square-foot vacant lot full of weeds at the corner of Mandela Parkway and West Grand will be transformed into a creative community space filled with art and commerce. For three months this fall, The Peralta Junction Project will change the nature of weekends in West Oakland, utilizing the strong local opportunities for our often-challenged neighborhood. The project team will clean up and activate the space through art installations, creative workshops, local performing arts programming, micro retail shops featuring local artisans, Oakland-based food trucks, and a tented creative commons.

As we’re an integral part of the West Oakland Industrial Arts Cooridor, The Crucible will be hosting workshops for West Oakland youth on several of the Thursdays and Fridays while the space is open. These workshops will feature copper metalworking as well as learning how to work with light emitting diodes (LEDs). We’ll be tayloring our programming in conjunction with the many other organizations running workshops.

In addition to the workshops, we’ll also be taking over one of the 25 canvas tents to create The Crucible Artist Pop-Up Store, open every Saturday and Sunday 10-6pm. At the Pop-Up Store you’ll be able to browse through works by artists at The Crucible, all of which will be for sale!

Grand opening is this weekend, October 6th & 7th, with a host of installations and performances to kick off the project.

To learn more visit www.PeraltaJunction.com.

Peralta Junction2018-03-15T11:01:04-07:00

Artists of The Crucible at Peralta Junction

2018-03-08T15:03:45-08:00

Peralta Junction’s Pop-Up Creative Commons has become a hive of weekend activity in West Oakland. Movies, music, dancing… Each weekend as the doors open up inquisitive visitors are treated to art, food trucks, performances and a special booth of artists from The Crucible showing (and selling!) their wares.

A few of the artists showing off their craft include:

The weather for the past few weekends has been warm with blue skies, making for a steady stream of interested, creative folks coming through the pavilion.

Sound like fun? To learn more about Peralta Junction, visit www.PeraltaJunction.com.

Artists of The Crucible at Peralta Junction2018-03-08T15:03:45-08:00

Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Trunk Show

2018-03-15T13:51:59-07:00

Friday, September 21, 2012 • 10AM-6PM
Saturday, September 22, 2012 • 10AM-5PM
Free Admission

The Crucible is hosting a Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event. Featured events include:

  • Test their full line of woodworking hand tools.
  • Participate in hands-on demonstrations.
  • Learn tips & tricks from the Lie-Nielsen staff.
  • Meet the guest demonstrators.
  • Enter the door prize drawing!

Come see how great handtools make woodworking easier!

For more information on Lie-Nielsen, you can visit their website at www.lie-nielsen.com.

Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Trunk Show2018-03-15T13:51:59-07:00

Lie-Nielson Tool Demo at The Crucible

2018-03-08T13:53:03-08:00

The good people of Lie-Nielson were in The Crucible all weekend demonstrating the use of their gorgeous woodworking tools, and chatting about all things woodworking. We grabbed a few images to share.

20140919_103959b
20140919_104627
20140919_104448
20140919_103938
20140919_103848
20140919_103727
20140919_103659

Lie-Nielson Tool Demo at The Crucible2018-03-08T13:53:03-08:00
Go to Top