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
2013 Fireside Lounge Schedule
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. In 2013, The Crucible will explore themes of conception, creation, and curation in three dynamic hour-long discussions during our Fireside Lounge. The 2013 Fireside Lounge Schedule: February 15: Conception May 10: Creation October 11: Curation The Fireside Lounge panel discussion provides a forum for fine and industrial artists to engage in and promote contextual conversa- tions. Join us as artists, makers, innovators, dreamers, and creators discuss art, industry, and community. A gallery of remarkable artwork by students and faculty will be on display and live performances are scheduled throughout the night. Admission is $10 at the door and is free for members of The Crucible.
Fireside Lounge: Conception
Friday, February 15, 2013 • 6:30-9:30PM $10 at the door Free for Crucible Members Join us for an evening of demonstrations on how materials such as clay, wood, stone, and steel inspire and inform the process of conception. How do fine and industrial artists conceive sculpture? How does conception move into the physicality of art? We will explore materiality and how it shapes an idea. A gallery of remarkable artwork by students and faculty will be on display and live performances are scheduled throughout the night. Are you a Crucible artist? Submit your art to the Fireside Lounge gallery. >> Download Submission Form (doc) The Crucible’s Fireside Lounge is an intimate evening of art, industry, community, and entertainment that takes place in The Crucible’s studio and highlights our varied art programs. It’s your chance to explore the creative passions of professional artists and the educational opportunities available while sipping libations in our unique atmosphere. Event Highlights: • Live industrial art demonstrations in featured areas: • Moldmaking • Ceramics • Blacksmithing • Jewelry • Stone Working • Woodworking • Fire Performance • Spectacular art show, Raw Material, highlighting work from renowned Crucible faculty • Fiery stage performances from The Crucible Fire Performance Department Faculty • Hosted Fire Spin Jam • Tasty food, wine, and beer • Exciting discounts on Crucible classes 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. Beer provided by Linden Street Brewery.
The Crucible Presents: Hot Couture 2013
Hot Couture: A Fusion of Fashion & Fire January 11 & 12, 2013 Doors at 7pm Show at 8pm (Standing room only. No reserved seating.) Buy Tickets In celebration of The Crucible’s 14th Anniversary, we are excited to present Hot Couture: A Fusion of Fashion & Fire on January 11 & 12, 2013. Melding high fashion with industrial art, Hot Couture features world-class fire demonstrations, aerial artistry and a blazing showcase of wearable art from Bay Area designers. Hot Couture will showcase creations from artist and fashion designers teams producing over 40 design concepts that illlustrate the intersection between fashion, traditional industrial materials and fabrication. Pieces will include a stained glass couture gown, custom corsetry embellished with interactive LED sensors and embedded 3D imagery, and warrior couture with welded steel and embossed leather. The evening includes a special performance by Heather Katz on a fire-breathing violin constructed by Peter Kropf, accompanied by the dynamic aerial artistry of Rose Nisker. Featured design houses and creators include: Alexandria Glowaski Annamarta Dostourian (Chris Neimer, Kim Mirus, Laura DuBois, Patricia Natale, Richie Pattison, Veronica Rojas) Avant Vouge (Sam Waller, Courtney Pheils, Celeste Flores) Bonde (Bonnie Heras), Erin Mahoney & O’Lover Hats (Elwyn Crawford) Coyote Counter Collective (Medium Reality, Rachel Lyra Hospodar, Miloh Alexander, Lara Grant, Rachel McConnell, Saan Nti, Sylvia Wood) Heather Wakefield (Jennifer Remmers, Krysta Lynn Kober) Jeaneen Brunck Designs (Katie Wolfenbarger, Danny Senn) Latex Fashionistas SENSOREE Design Lab (Kristin Neidlinger, Anthony “Asterisk” Ambuehl, Autumn Adamme, Chris Jefferies, David Dawson, Erik Johnson, Greg Ames, Stefanie Ku) Bianca Starr Productions is bringing style from within through fashion coordination. CASS, our official recycling partner and funders of our youth internship program, is the event sponsor for our stage and runway and has supplied forty tons of compacted aluminum for the construction of the stage and runway. Proceeds from Hot Couture 2013 will benefit The Crucible’s educational programs. The Crucible is a nonprofit arts education facility serving more than 5,000 students through youth and adult arts education programs each year with a dedicated mission to Arts, Industry, and Community. Through training in the fine and industrial arts, The Crucible promotes creative expression, reuse of materials, and innovative design, while serving as an accessible arts venue for the general public. The Crucible, 1260 7th Street, Oakland, CA 94607 [map] Press contacts: Kristy Alfieri (Education Director) kristy@thecrucible.org / Steven Young (Executive Director) stevenyoung@thecrucible.org / Sarah Dabby (Communications) sdabby@thecrucible.org Photos from Hot Couture 2008 The Crucible’s Hot Couture 2013 is possible through the generous sponsorship and donations from:
Hot Couture 2013 Designer Spotlight: Miss Velvet Cream
In anticipation of The Crucible’s upcoming Hot Couture Fashion Show on January 11 & 12, 2013, The Crucible staff writer Sarah Dabby chats with wearable art specialist Scatha G. Allison to learn more about her design background, her project Miss Velvet Cream, what she plans to show at Hot Couture, and why she thinks Hot Couture is “the show to be at” in 2013. Miss Velvet Cream is neo-couture clothing created by Scatha G. Allison that embodies silhouettes of the past with dreams of the future, all bridged by the conscious present. Allison’s design is guided by aesthetics of construction and innovation that are individualized, craft-intensive and committed to excellence in quality, wearability and above all, beauty. Allison created outfits for Hot Couture 2008 at The Crucible and has designed and worked on projects with the YBAC Artists Ball, The Exploratorium, Second Skin Project, Vau De Vire, Bad Unkl Sista, SF Boylesque, Headmistress Dance Troupe, The Luggage Store Gallery, In The Street Arts Festival, Black Rock Arts Foundation, Pyroglyphicks, Burning Man Festival in Nevada and numerous private collections and commissioned projects.
Hot Couture 2013 Designer Spotlight: Sam Waller
As The Crucible’s Hot Couture Fashion Show on January 11 & 12, 2013 approaches, staff writer Sarah Dabby chats with faculty member, leather artist, and Hot Couture designer Sam Waller to learn more about his pieces, his team and The Crucible’s integral role in his success. Sam, a self-taught leather artist, joined The Crucible faculty in September 2011. His work, which draws on fantasy and pre-Renaissance themes, has been featured throughout shows and boutiques in Oakland and Indianapolis. His Designer and Artist team includes Courtney Pheils and Celeste Flores.
Hot Couture 2013 Designer Spotlight: SENSOREE Design Lab
Photos courtesy of SENSOREE. To SENSOREE Design Lab, 2013 is the year of communication. At Hot Couture, SENSOREE will premier five new interactive designs that speak to the self, each other and the spacial environment. Under the theme “Home-aid” they craft future design couture from the DIY to bring awareness, interaction and health of the self. Team lead and SENSOREE founder Kristin Neidlinger crafts phenomenal technology to enhance and expand physical embodiment. She is interested in how technology increases body awareness and to what extents. A classically trained ballerina, she holds an MFA in Interactive Design from CCA and has worked as a Dance Medicine Specialist and kinetic costume designer. She has performed and exhibited works from Berlin to Belgium to Brazil and for the next two years her work is touring with Futurotextiles 3. Greg Ames is SENSOREE’s Electrical Sound Wizard. From his early pre-teen years, Greg has been involved with electronics and music. After college, he was involved in professional audio, building recording studios, traveling as an audio engineer and working for Disney. He later transitioned to a career in the computer industry, being fortunate enough to get involved with Apple Computer very early on, working there on and off for more than 17 years. He has expertise in internet and small embedded solutions including Atmel/Arduino and looks forward to providing technology solutions for art and education. Anthony “Asterisk” Ambuehl handles wiring, programming and metal fabrication. As an active member with Sensoree, Flux Foundation and Flaming Lotus Girls, he does whatever necessary to make art happen. David Dawson is a fashion sculptor and once upon a time, co-owner and creative collaborative leader of Asphalt Designs and partner in Phobos and Deimos. Currently he is awakening and stimulating the sensibilities of teenagers as a high-school art instructor. Autumn Adamme established Dark Garden in 1989. Her vision and leadership have brought her company to the forefront of the world’s corset market. Using the finest fabrics, Autumn and her team of talented craftspeople skillfully build each corset and couture garment from start to finish. Her gowns and corsets have been worn on Hollywood’s red carpets by Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson, Kelly Osbourne and Dita Von Teese. Autumn has participated in two great Crucible events – Firebird Fire Ballet and Machine, last year’s fire opera. Stefanie Ku (a.k.a. Cosmic Cupcake, Kukie Matter, and silverslik), is a San Francisco based intermedia artist and divides her time between helping people achieve wellness through sound and vibrational healing, playing keyboard and synth in electronic rock band Beautiful Machines, and transmuting her visions from the dimensionless realm of pure thought into the more accessible language of light and sound. Chris Jeffries (Tinaja Labs) is part of an ongoing DIY movement which builds upon the open software and now open hardware standards. This movement makes the use of technology more accessible to a broader range of interests and the creativity, the ever expanding combinations and permutations of interactivity is unprecedented. He has been working with sensors, wireless connectivity, […]
Hot Couture 2013 Designer Spotlight: Coyote Counter Collective
Photo courtesy of Coyote Counter Collective. Coyote Counter Collective is a cooperative art and design space in North Oakland formed by group of artists banded together to re-imagine structures on their own terms. The corner storefront is equal parts gallery, boutique, studio workspace, garment re-construction factory, style hub, and general one- stop waypoint for cultural re-fitting. For Hot Couture 2013, Coyote developed a conceptual collection of smart garments with an eye towards integrating some of the newest technologies out there with some of the oldest. Electroluminescence, LEDs, laser-cut shapes, 3D printed forms and conductive fabrics and threads are layered with stained glass, applique, dye, felt, quilting and silkscreen to lend illuminated and richly textured surfaces to these glowing, flickering creatures. The garments transfer information via simple touch or wireless radio signals, affecting each other in various ways. Throughout the collection is evidence of an ongoing commitment to sustainability. The garments are primarely either reconstruced or made from reclaimed materials, and the 3D printed parts use renewable corn plastic. The underlying belief of Coyote Counter Collective is that we must also develop egalitarian models of working if we wish to be truly sustainable. The process is indeed part of the product, and Coyote believes that we must look to artists to show the way forward for society. Visit Coyote Counter Collective on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @CoyoteCounter. Coyote Counter Collective is: Medium Reality – design Lara Grant – design, electronics Rachel McConnell – design, electronics Rachel Lyra Hospodar – electronics, facilitation Sylvia Wood – stained glass Type A Machines – 3D printing Coyote Counter Collective wishes to thank to Chris K Palmer (Shadowfolds), Miloh Alexander, Chartreuse Circle, Pants Interface, Noisebridge and Merchants of Reality.
Hot Couture 2013 Designer Spotlight: Alex Glowaski
In our final Designer Spotlight, staff writer Sarah Dabby chats with maker-artist Alex Glowaski to discuss brainwave-reactive headsets, internet-enabled pieces, and her huge dreams for Hot Couture and beyond. She will be showing two pieces at The Crucible’s Hot Couture: A Fusion of Fashion and Fire on January 11-12, 2013. Alex Glowaski is a tech support tank and brainwave enthusiast. Before moving to San Francisco, she lived in Ann Arbor, where she received a Spanish degree and directed the city’s “All Hands Active” hacker space. Now immersed in San Francisco, she works at Sauce Labs and has co-founded a hardware development group called ProtoTank. Follow Alex on Twitter @glowascii.
50 Years of American Studio Glass
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. General Admission $15 per day Crucible Members and Students $10 per day To purchase tickets and reserve your spot, visit californiastudioglass.eventbrite.com 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
Gift & Get
It’s the time of year for giving. As the holidays approach, we are giving our hardworking community an opportunity to give an extraordinary gift to a loved one and receive one as well. We are now offering a Gift and Get promotion. Now through December 31, 2012, anyone who purchases a Crucible Gift Certificate, class, or membership as a gift gets a voucher of $30 off a class valued at $100 or more for themselves. Vouchers are made out to the purchaser only, and are non-transferable and not redeemable for cash. This promotion excludes Fun Together classes and cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. One voucher per person. Gift Certificates Gift Certificates can be used for Crucible classes, memberships, and events like The Crucible’s exclusive fire fashion show, Hot Couture. Gift Certificates can only be purchased in person or by phone, and are available in any denomination above $50. Gift A Class The Crucible offers an incredible variety of industrial arts classes including blacksmithing, ceramics,fire performance, glass blowing, jewelry, kinetics and electronics, metal fabrication, stone working,wood carving, and more. Classes start for artisans as young as age 8 and offered on weekdays, weekends, and weeklong adventures. Gift A Membership Recipients of a Crucible membership enjoy exclusive member benefits including discounts, priority access to classes and events, and special gifts while supporting and raising awareness of industrial arts education in the bay area. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the support of our community to fuel our fires. Membership dues directly subsidize our arts education programs, allowing us to provide free programs for West Oakland youth, develop innovative performances with artists from throughout the Bay Area, and continue to offer the world-class industrial arts education you enjoy.
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...