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.
This past week, Alameda county extended its shelter-in-place order through May 31, meaning The Crucible will remain closed for at least another month. While we miss gathering with our creative community more than anything, there has been one benefit to our studio closure.
Studio closures around The Bay Area have had a major impact on the maker community. Our working artists—whether they sell original art, depend on commission work, or are regular instructors in our classrooms—have lost their main sources of income due to Covid-19 shutdowns.
While our community faces widespread changes, we wanted to share some resources to help artists, Oaklanders, the greater Bay Area, and beyond find support during Covid-19 shutdowns. This list will be regularly updated as new information becomes available.
On Saturday, The Crucible made the decision to temporarily close to the public to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. On Monday, Alameda County ordered all non-essential businesses to close for three weeks. Spring is one of our busiest times of year, full of community events, funding opportunities, and hundreds of classes.
Soirée is The Crucible’s once-a-year glittering fundraising event that raises more than $150,000 to fund scholarships and support for our industrial arts education programs. At The Crucible's 2020 Fire & Light Soirée, for one night only, this industrial arts school transforms into an elegant ballroom with luminous art installations, breathtaking performances that awe and inspire, and of course, fire!
Jada Works dreams of starting her own company and selling the art she makes to a wider audience. That's badass. Even more badass is helping make it possible—support the next generation of badass artists. #BeABadass and donate to The Crucible before the year ends.
Celeste Flores fell in love with blacksmithing in art school, but it wasn’t until she came to The Crucible that she decided to become a full-time metalworker. “I’ve been rejected for my appearance and for being unconventional and in those environments, I wasn’t able to thrive,” she says. But The Crucible was a welcoming and supportive place for her, both as an artist and an entrepreneur.
In our 2018 Youth Impact Report, you can see just how much you made possible—free field trips for youth, over $100,000 in youth scholarships, and much more!