COURSE DESCRIPTION: If you're interested in learning to combine ceramics, photography, illustration and printmaking, this three-hour workshop is for you! Students will be guided through the process and techniques of photolithography on clay. Bring your favorite photographs along to create unique and personal ceramic tiles!

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Ava Moniz is a ceramicist and video artist born and raised near Providence, Rhode Island. As a local, Moniz feels connected to the natural features the state has to offer, reflected in her ceramics via natural clay body exposed through layers of glazed brushstrokes on functional pottery. She believes everyone can find their own path to succeeding in wheel throwing and urges students to explore alternative ways of approaching the medium!

COURSE WITHDRAWAL AND TRANSFERS: All enrollments are subject to our REGISTRATION & ENROLLMENT POLICIES. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Be the envy of everyone at dinner! This course will teach you how to forge and finish your own set of mild-steel chopsticks. Students will forge two pieces of thin, round-stock into a long, faceted square chopsticks with a round taper at the end. In addition, each student will add a decorative twist to the tops of their chopsticks. Forging one of something is relatively easy. This course will focus on forging two pieces that are the same width, length, and feel natural and symmetrical when using them to grip and eat food. Forging in mild steel (rather than stainless) makes this process more forgiving for beginners. The instructor will provide instructions on how to clean and care for your mild-steel chopsticks.

INSTRUCTOR BIO:  John D. Harvey caught the blacksmithing bug at The Steel Yard (Providence, RI) in 2014. His work leans heavily towards organic shapes and designs as well as household products. Currently, he forges out of his own shop (JDH Metalcraft) in East Providence, RI, and teaches at The Steel Yard.

COURSE WITHDRAWAL & TRANSFERS: All enrollments are subject to our REGISTRATION & ENROLLMENT POLICIES.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Spend a weekend learning the basics of metalworking: ripping through steel with gas torches and fusing it back together with a 10,000° electrical arc! This two-day workshop introduces you to MIG welding, the oxygen-acetylene torch, various metal saws, and the grinder. By the end of the first day, you will be able to heat, cut, join, bend, and polish. On the second day, you will use your new skills creating a project to take home. No previous experience necessary. This is a great opportunity to explore welding for the first time. Materials and tools will be provided. The course should give you the skills to begin your own artistic welding exploration. These classes do not lead to certification.

 Open studio access after the completion of this course may be purchased on the website.  Open studio runs Monday (3-6pm), Thursday (3-6pm) and Sundays (5-8pm). 

COURSE WITHDRAWAL & TRANSFERS: All enrollments are subject to our REGISTRATION & ENROLLMENT POLICIES.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will explore basic blacksmithing techniques and serve as an introduction to a centuries-old art. Starting with copper (which can be worked cold) students will explore smithing skills such as tapering, drawing, and bending using a series of hammers and an anvil as they create a rose using the “Imperial Rose” technique. Once students have familiarized themselves with these basic skills we’ll move to steel. Students will be able to use their newly-acquired smithing skills to forge and shape steel to create a steel rose, changing a rigid piece of industrially-created metal to create an organic, individual shape. No prior blacksmithing or metalworking experience is necessary. No prior experience is needed. You will learn basic blacksmithing techniques including tapering, scrolling, bending, twisting, and finishing. 

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Mark Oribello is an artist / blacksmith / fabricator / carpenter / firefighter / paramedic whose main interests lie in making new blacksmiths, fabricators and useful objects, which are very often the same thing. In addition to teaching at the Yard he is also an instructor at the RI Fire Academy and occasional helper / instructor at Prospect Hill Forge in Waltham, MA. 

COURSE WITHDRAWAL & TRANSFER: All enrollments are subject to our REGISTRATION & ENROLLMENT POLICIES.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The bottle opener … it’s everyone’s favorite tool and a great conversation starter at a party! In this workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of blacksmithing, while focusing on forging their own handmade bottle openers. A perfect introduction to the craft of forging, this course teaches the basics of heating, hammering, and shaping steel. In three hours, we will cover techniques such as punching, drifting, tapering, and more. This class focuses on forging techniques for small pieces; think less brute force and more precise detail. No need to be big and burly! No previous experience necessary; all tools and materials are provided.

COURSE WITHDRAWAL & TRANSFERS: All enrollments are subject to our REGISTRATION & ENROLLMENT POLICIES.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Have some equipment or a MIG welder kicking around and want to learn where to begin? Maybe you need a refresher or have taken a weekend welding course and want a little more guided exposure? Interested in metal fabrication and looking for an introduction to how it’s done? No experience is necessary for this course, we will review the fundamental principles of MIG welding from start to finish and fabricate our own metal cubes. In this 6hr course we will spend the afternoon reviewing how to safely and properly set up MIG welders and discuss basic troubleshooting. This hands on session will teach how to prepare material for welding and provide students with the opportunity to learn practice cutting, grinding and review different welding techniques. The cube is a simple object but this exercise will help develop and hone the skills used in practical metal fabrication. The process of welding involves a great deal of preparation and cutting using angle grinders, angle grinders are loud and produce slot of sparks.  A large portion of this session will require standing and will be in a shop setting that is difficult to control temperature settings. 

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Kendra Plumley is a queer interdisciplinary artist from Providence Rhode Island. Kendra has a background in painting, illustration and metal working with a focus on the hand held plasma cutter. They believe that art and education are forms of resistance and empowerment.

COURSE WITHDRAWAL & TRANSFERS: All enrollments are subject to our REGISTRATION & ENROLLMENT POLICIES.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Hooks are a great beginner blacksmithing project – and they’re immediately useful! In this three-hour class, we’ll focus on J-hooks and S-hooks of different styles. In this class, you’ll learn basic blacksmithing skills such as tapering, punching, drifting, bending, and twisting. We’ll aim to send you home with two or three functional hooks.

INSTRUCTOR BIO: John D. Harvey caught the blacksmithing bug at The Steel Yard (Providence, RI) in 2014. His work leans heavily towards organic shapes and designs as well as household products. Currently, he forges out of his own shop (JDH Metalcraft) in East Providence, RI, and teaches at The Steel Yard.

 COURSE WITHDRAWAL & TRANSFER: All enrollments are subject to our REGISTRATION & ENROLLMENT POLICIES.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Can’t find that ring you’ve been dreaming of? Come make it yourself in this one-day workshop exploring the lost wax build-up method. You’ll learn how to drip and layer molten wax to form your ring, then refine it with added texture, carved designs, or smooth, polished finishes. You’ll be guided and supported through each step as you discover your own unique way of working. This hands-on process is meditative, perfect for anyone wanting to explore a relaxed, expressive creative outlet. Finished rings will be cast in sterling silver and returned to you after the workshop. Casting service in sterling silver is included with the purchase of this course.

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Julianna Conti is a Providence jewelry artist specializing in lost wax casting. She crafts designs inspired by nature, memories, and the people in her life. She has been teaching at The Steel Yard for a year and love uplifting students and helping them find their creative voice in a welcoming, inclusive space.

COURSE WITHDRAWAL AND TRANSFERS: 

All enrollments are subject to our REGISTRATION & ENROLLMENT POLICIES.