At age 17, an eager High Schooler named Ian Wenck got a waiver to take an adult Blacksmithing class at The Crucible. On his way to the Smithy he passed the Machine Shop and was immediately intrigued.
Thanks to the Port of Oakland, 100 BIPOC youth have renewed opportunity in The Crucible's studios, with hundreds of classes to choose from.
The first week of 2021 Youth Summer Camps just wrapped! Students came to camp with major creative ambitions, making impressive projects like beautifully handcrafted skateboards, elaborate welded bird sculptures, and in the case of one student, a leather utility belt with a customizable system of attachments.
Leading up to last week’s Youth Spring Camps, the excitement in the air was palpable. After more than a year of remote learning, we could not wait to see students tap into their creativity and get hands-on in the fine and industrial arts.
Invest in the makers of tomorrow by joining us from the comfort of your home for a celebration of industrial arts, community, creativity, and resiliency.
Our Woodworking classes are some of our most varied and most popular. The department includes offerings in woodturning, woodworking, marquetry, hand carving—but doesn’t have the space to keep all the equipment in the shop when classes are running. So if you ever found yourself at The Crucible between sessions, you might have witnessed our studio staff moving six Woodturning lathes in and out of the Wood Shop.
Equity, access, and facing the pandemic are challenges our Board will continue to tackle for the foreseeable future. And to support these efforts, we are pleased to welcome four new members to the team: Cindy Johanson, Craig Croteau, Joyce Pederson Shulman, and Shawnee Keck.
The Crucible Bike Shop has long been the community outreach arm of The Crucible. It serves West Oakland youth through our Earn-A-Bike program and supports the West Oakland community at large with free bike maintenance during our Bike Fix-A-Thons. Regular classes and camps allow adults and youth students to learn skills in welding and mechanics with opportunities for creative exploration in their designs.
For the past few years, Valerie Fish has found inspiration for her stained glass all around her, be it California poppies or a drawing by her son. As a longtime maker, Valerie knows the importance of art, especially for our youth, and when presented with an opportunity to support The Crucible’s programming through Giving Back at GIFTY, she jumped at the chance!
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.