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 Dates
- December 23, 2023 – January 1, 2024: Crucible closed for winter break
- 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: Fall Open House
- December 7 & 8: GIFTY 2024
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.
2024 Tour Schedule
Fall dates will be added soon!
- Thursday, January 25: 6pm
- Saturday, February 10: 2pm
- Thursday, February 22: 6pm
- Saturday, March 9: 2pm
- Thursday, March 28: 6pm
- Saturday, April 20: 2pm
- Thursday, April 25: 6pm
- Saturday, May 4: 2pm
- Thursday, May 23: 6pm
- Saturday, June 8: 2pm
- Thursday, June 27: 6pm
- Saturday, July 13: 2pm
- Thursday, July 25: 6pm
Can’t wait to see inside?
Check out our virtual 3D Tour by clicking the button below!
Browse Past In-person Events
Fire & Light Soirée and Art Auction
Our July 2009 Fire and Light Soiree was a fabulous success! 250 guests enjoyed a delicious dinner beneath a stunning tent canopy, and generous bidding during our art auction raised funds for The Crucible’s arts education programs. Thanks to everyone who participated in this special evening. Click here to see the Soiree Photo Gallery. Click here to learn more about our Auction & Lottery items. Soirée catering sponsor:
Events Gallery
Click on an image to view a slideshow of pictures from each event. Fire Arts Festivals® Fire Ballets™ Fire Operas™ Theatrical Events Fire & Light Soirées Friday Night Events Open Houses Volunteer Appreciation Party
Spring Open House 2009
Celebrating Student & Faculty Art Saturday, April 18, 2009 • 11AM to 5PM It was a sunny Saturday and hundreds of visitors shared the excitement of The Crucible as the sparks flew and hammers rang out on steel. Youth demonstrators wowed the crowd with their skills, youngsters pulled parents upstairs to explore in clay, and everyone was invited to be an art critic for the day. Photos by Gary Wilson. Photo Gallery – Click Here People’s Choice Winners 1st PLACE WINNER 1st RUNNER UP 2nd RUNNER UP Destination Unknown by Lee Granberg (cast glass student) Three Cubed Fractal by Robert Revzan (TIG welding student) Fused Glass Plates by Leda Contis (fused & slumped glass student)
Dracul: Prince of Fire – 2009 Fire Ballet
The Crucible Story of Dracul: Prince of Fire This is a crafted turn of events that brought about the start of the vampire legend, based on the actual 15th century historical character who belonged to the Order of the Dragon, a military group that fought the Ottoman Empire. In Romanian he was referred to as Dracul, meaning dragon. Dracul was the father of Vlad Tepes the Impaler, more commonly known as Dracula. The name Dracula means: “Son of Dracul”.The story begins with Dracul exploring the dark outer regions of his land. He encounters something both monstrous and magnificent and is attacked. He feels strange fiery venom coursing through his body as it dies. But he is not dead. Dracul awakes infused with a strange power…as a burning desire for blood grows within him. Applying his new-found abilities to an industrial use; he gains great power from building and creating with fire. As Dracul is building his industrial empire, a pair of young lovers seeks shelter from a storm in Dracul’s factory. They text a friend for help, but things turn dark quickly when Dracul’s workers torment them and Dracul falls deeply for the young girl. Trying to flee they are joined by a slayer. A fiery battle begins, but he vanishes in a thunderclap. The slayer and two lovers escape. The friend of the young lovers, Lucy, enters the castle looking for them. Dracul can’t resist Lucy and lures her into his aerie to feed upon her. The young lovers find their friend apparently dead, they begin to mourn her but soon realize that she has been transformed into Nosferatu: the undead. The slayer comes to their rescue and fights the vampire, driving a stake through her once-pure heart. As the young girl mourns her friend Lucy, Dracul descends on her. The young man tries to rescue his love, but he realizes she is no longer his innocent young maid. He must kill her, even if it breaks his heart. Dracul cannot accept that his undying love is now dead and seeks to bring her back to life; using his powers of fire and creativity, he revives her. As they celebrate with a macabre dance, the young man and slayer appear to put an end to Dracul and all he has created. After a monumental battle, two figures walk off into the sunrise, and the legend begins . . . The Music: In 1997 Northern Ballet Theatre commissioned Philip Feeney to create an ballet score based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. We here at The Crucible found the innovative and inspirational score he created to be perfect for our original fire ballet: Dracul, Prince of Fire. As often happens in ballet theater, music director Scott Sterling has made adjustments in this great work in order to best merge it with the talents of our performers. Following in Crucible tradition, he has added a modernized cultural; retrofit within the score that we hope you will enjoy even as we ask Mr. Feeney’s […]
Events at The Crucible
Since 1999, The Crucible has produced a wide variety of events ranging from fundraisers to operas to community open houses. Maintaining collaborations with highly-trained craft and industrial artists, our goal is to reach far and wide into as well as beyond our community to make memorable annual as well as once-in-a-lifetime events. In the past we have hosted or produced the well-known Fire Arts Festival® and numerous Fire Ballets & Fire Operas. Our currently line-up of annual events include the Fireside Lounge series and our Fall and Spring Open Houses. For a list of current planned events, please refer to our Upcoming Events page. At The Crucible, people come together to share skills, and forge objects and friendships. In a world filled with automated technology, The Crucible offers adult and youth students alike a chance to get their hands dirty and make useful or artful objects themselves, from scratch, and from start to finish — and our events are wonderful opportunity to see whats been going on in these times. Please join us!
Holiday Gifty Art Sale 2008
Hot for the Holidays! 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 holiday celebration. 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 60 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 • Prize drawing at 3PM each day; grand prize drawing Sunday • Refreshments and holiday treats • Learn about classes and workshops that will ignite your own creativity! Performances by: The Von Stilt Family Prescott Circus Clowns Check us out on ABC 7 News! Photo Gallery – Click Here 2008 Gifty Vendors Ceramics: T1 Ezme Designs B25 Moriah Hart B10 Susan Boggiano B27 VAM Pottery Clothing/Accessories: B11 AC Clothing and Bags T10 Alpaca by Karim B20 Asian Accents T16 Carolyn Yugo B18 Celestial: Leather and Suede Clothing B24 Daphne Ruff B22 Dandy Brand B29 Field Day Wearables B19 Fiftyseven-thirtythree T25 Jurnecka Creations B26 Like Minded People B2 Lucky Space Monkey B3 Mani Padma T30 Recession Clothing T7 SuperSugarRayRay B13 Violet Star Creations Glass: T2 360 Fusion Glass T19 April Zilber T6 DaVidRo T8/T9 Fireworks Glass Studio T14 Meri Page Design B1 McKeever Studios T34 Nightside Studios Jewelry: T33 19 Moons T36 Aimee Golant T20 Alma Flores B4 The Art of Cheriel Jensen T17 Back Porch Clay Works B23 Baja Nights Jewelry B16 Beadzilla / Crafts by Redvelvet T40 Beebalalou / GewGaw Design T29 Cara London Vintage Re Craft Jewelry T38 Charmed Jewelry B30 Colleen Mauer Designs T4 Daria Salus Jewelry T36 David Casella T26 Elizabeth Wells Oppenheim Jewelry T31 Found Treasures T13 Gail Splaver B9 Heart’s Desire Jewelry T27 Heidi Tarver B14 JP Design & Collection B12 Just ‘Cause Custom Jewelry T32 Kushlani Hall T24 Monica Schmid / Regine Pfanz T3 Nouveau Motley T11 Paula Chan Design Studio B5 Shaya Durbin B17 Silver Productions T28 Tiffany Berger Designs T12 Twilight B15 WELL & Pretty Fun / Rx Designers Wood: B8 Brad Adams B21 William Gray Designs Metal: T22 Liz Judkins T21 Red Frog Design Photography: B6 MilleFeuille Photography by Shannon Ledford Paperworks: T5 Elaine Chu Graphic Design T39 Miranda Olson B7 Mi Vida Creations Mixed/Misc.: T15 Anderson Soap Company T18 Anna Yates Elementary Art T23 Fixed Gear Gal B28 Praise the Gourd Lamps T37 San Leandro High School Food by: Uhuru Pies Performances by: The Von Stilt Family Prescott Circus Clowns
Newsletter Dec 08
Class Highlights • Last Chance for Fall Classes • Holiday Taster Workshops • Winter Schedule is Here! • Hot New Classes for Winter Events • Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House • 10th Anniversary Fire Ballet Fundraiser The Crucible Recommends • The Crucible Holiday Gift Guide • Plasma Nation – Float Gallery • Celebrating Craftwomen • Girls Welding Reception Faculty Focus • Tara Murray – Glass Flameworking Ways to Give the Gift of Art • eScrip • eBay Giving Works Program Join The Crucible Community • Call for Instructors • Volunteering CLASS HIGHLIGHTS Last Chance for Fall Classes Calling all fire eaters – here’s a chance to refine your skill and learn new performance techniques from Kristina Cañizares, founder of The Nekyia and veteran performer of many legendary Crucible shows. Fire Eating & Beyond intensive workshop runs December 13-14th. Learn the ceramic Art of Raku at a weekend intensive workshop December 6-7th. Bring in your own completed bisque fired pieces and find out how to use organic materials and fire to create incredible surface textures using this exciting process. Raku Fired Ceramic Piece by artist Kathleen Fernald Get a taste of fire at our Holiday Taster Workshops Where else can you learn a specialized skill and create a unique piece of art in just three hours? There are still some slots available, but register now to be sure you get into the class you want. Workshops run December 6-7th and would make a great early holiday gift or get you started on making gifts of your own. Choose morning or afternoon classes in blacksmithing, sand casting, glass fusing or flameworking, jewelry making, and resin casting. {Click Here to Learn More} Winter Class Schedule – Hot off the press! Crucible Members can register now for classes; open registration begins November 25th. If you haven’t received your schedule in the mail, look for it at your favorite pick-up spots around the Bay Area or download a copy here. CHECK OUT THESE HOT NEW CLASSES! Five new classes have been added this winter: CERAMICS Creative Clay Exploration for Parent & Child (3-5 Years) Feb 11- Apr 1 | Wednesdays | 3 – 4PM | with Tachina Rudman Enjoy this special time together as you gently explore the world of clay using art and fun simple movements. sign up now Clay Together for Parent & Child (5-7 Years) Feb 11- Apr 1 | Wednesdays | 4-5:30PM | with Tachina Rudman Take off together into a world of clay and fun. You’ll build magical creatures and worlds for them to explore, pinch pots, make masks and more. sign up now JEWELRY Viking Knit with Art Silver Clay March 7 – 8 | Sat & Sun | 10AM – 2PM | with Arlene Hildebrand Mornick Form a silver wire bracelet using the ancient art of Viking Knit, one of the oldest known forms of knitting, a looping technique that pre-dates traditional knitting by centuries. sign up now Enameled Beads April 4 – 5 | Sat […]
Newsletter Nov 08
Class Highlights • Family Fun Weekend • Fun Fall Classes • Holiday Taster Workshops Youth Programs • Youth Weekend Intensives • Girls Welding • Bike Frame Alteration Events • Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House • 10th Anniversary Fire Ballet Crucible News • Arts Funding Saved • Must-See TV The Crucible Recommends • The Perfect Holiday Gift • Radical Jewelry Makeover Exhibition • E-Scrip Faculty Focus • Warren – Glass Cold Working Join The Crucible Community • Call for Instructors • Volunteering CLASS HIGHLIGHTS The last Family Fun Weekend of the year is November 22nd & 23rd.Several of these beginning intensive classes remain where you and a family member can learn something new and for making gifts of your own. Remember, when you sign up together, one family member receives discounted tuition. Glass Flameworking Working over an open flame you’ll create marbles, pendants and more Intro to Jewelry & Metals Experiment with different techniques and make a sterling silver ring Woodturning Discover the lathe and how you can turn a piece of wood into a beautiful bowl. {Sign Up Now} Sign Up for Fall Classes Before They’re Gone! The days may be getting shorter, and the weather a bit nippier, but it’s always hot here at The Crucible, and there are still some fall session classes where you can experience the excitement of creating. You’ll find day, evening and weekend classes; the hardest part is choosing which area you want to work in: Light: Intro to Neon, Demystifying the Light Emiting Diode (LED), EL-Wire Workshop Metal: Beginning TIG, Intro to MIG, Intro to Welded Sculpture Clay: Sculpting in Clay, Classical Clay Portraiture Jewelry: Intro to Cast Resin and Silver Jewelry, Bead Casting Glass: Core Vessel Forming, Cold Working Glass, Fusing & Slumping, Kiln-Cast Glass For those with commitment issues . . . Holiday Taster Workshops Not sure you want to spend 5 weeks pounding mental or melting glass? You can learn basic techniques and create a unique piece of art in just three hours. Choose from Blacksmithing, Glass Flameworking, Glass Fusing, Jewelry, MIG Welding, Resin Casting or Sand Casting. Morning and afternoon Holiday Tasters run December 6th and 7th, 10AM – 1PM and 2-5PM. {Click Here to Learn More} YOUTH PROGRAM Don’t miss out on the last Youth Weekend Intensive Classes of the year: Youth Blacksmithing, Youth Glass Flameworking, and Youth Welding run November 15-16, with a Flameworking lab available October 30 to December 4th. Learning a specialized skill is an exhilarating experience for any youngster, and if that’s not reason enough to sign up, here’s another one: Each paid enrollment enables us to offer a scholarship for a youth otherwise unable to have such an experience, so you give the gift of creativity twice. {Click Here to Learn More} Two very popular youth programs that always result in both amazing art and a wonderful sense of accomplishment among the participants have begun. Our Girls Welding project started earlier this month with 12 girls from […]
Newsletter Oct 08
Fall Class Highlights • The Softer Side of The Crucible • Did You Know You Can Make Jewelry Out of Clay? • Continuing Classes in Foundry • Coldworking Glass Classes Events • Fall Community Open House Recap • Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House • Call for Artists & Vendors Faculty Focus • Evan Wilcox Crucible News • E-Scrip • Help A Tree Find A Home The Crucible Recommends • Handcar Regatta • Pacific Pinball Expo Join The Crucible Community • Call for Instructors • Private or Shared Studios for Rent FALL CLASS HIGHLIGHTS The Softer Side of The Crucible Yes we’re all about fire and steel, hot kilns and heavy machinery, but did you know that you can also get creative with paper, plastic, fabric and flexible light at The Crucible? Check out these classes – just in time for the Day of the Dead and Halloween: Cartoneria – Create unique décor with this ancient Mexican paper art form. Class runs 8 Wednesday evenings and starts October 8th Introduction to Sewing: A Crash Course – Dust off that sewing machine and learn sewing basics so you can make your own costume. Saturday workshop, October 18th Reproduction in Plastics – Learn the secrets the professionals use to make flexible plastic molds to create creepy things…lots of them. Class runs 5 Monday evenings and starts October 27th EL-Wire Workshop – Add sparkle and light to your costume or home décor with EL-wire in just one day. Class runs Saturday, September 27th Vidita Mia by Ruben Guzman Did you know you can make jewelry out of clay? Art silver clay is 99.9% fine silver that allows artists to create jewelry in less time then with traditional metalsmithing. Learn all the basics of making fine silver jewelry, new techniques and how to enhance your current jewelry-making repertoire. Intro to Art Silver Clay Arlene Hildebrand • Weekend Intensive • October 4-5 {Click Here to Learn More} Continuing Classes in Foundry Here’s your opportunity to use skills learned in introductory foundry classes and delve into the details of metal casting and finishing with Kitty Hundley, a professional metal artist recognized for her ability to translate natural forms into elegant and useful metal objects. Cast Clip & Pour – Thursday evenings starting October 30th Bring your completed waxes to this class, and learn the details of preparing a ceramic shell mold and pouring bronze. Bronze Metal Finishing – Tuesday evenings starting October 28th In this class you’ll work from your own rough bronze castings and learn tools and techniques for creating a perfect finish for your sculpture. {Click Here to Learn More} Artwork by Warren Coldworking Glass Classes Glass can be manipulated and transformed without heat, much in the same way as wood or stone, to create transparent sculptures and beautiful vessels. In Coldworking Glass, you’ll learn to use lathes and grinding machines to polish, cut and drill glass, and experiment with carving and sandblasting using provided glass blanks. Coldworking […]
Fall Open House 2008
Fall Community Open House Saturday, September 6, 2008 – 12PM to 6PM Exhibitor List: Oakland Fire Department City Slicker Farms DeFremery Park Mandela Foods Cooperative West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project East Bay College Fund Prescott Circus Clowns Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Youth Radio Trapeze Arts West Oakland Discovery Museum de Young Museum Popo’s Pizza BumpityThump Youth Movement Records CUE/Velocity Circus What Now America Propville Directory Studio One Oakland School for the Arts Student Art Show – Best in Show Winners FIRST PLACE SECOND PLACE THIRD PLACE Photo Gallery – Click Here
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...