Yard Courses Calendar

Move beyond the appreciation of jewelry to creation by learning the fundamentals of jewelry-making techniques, design and fabrication. A range of hand-tool processes will be covered through practical exercises and imaginative concept-based projects. You will acquire a solid set of technical skills, and will also exercise your creative design skills. The non-technical side of the class focuses on idea development and the critical-thinking skills needed to realize a vision. This course will review sawing, filing, soldering, scoring/bending, texturing, forming, linkages, wire construction and more. No prior metal-smithing skills are necessary. Metal will be provided for practice and exercises, but students may need to pay for additional metals needed for their independent work.

Visit thesteelyard.org to register for classes and find out more about our registration and enrollment policies.

Do you like to draw, doodle or design? Learn to bring your 2D design ideas to your 3D ceramic work. In this class students will explore ways to create a variety of rich surface decoration on wheel thrown or hand built ceramic forms. Weekly demos will cover techniques such as slip transfers, stenciling, stamping, slip inlay, sgraffito, wax resists and more. Wheel throwing experience is helpful but not necessary, the course will cover basic hand building techniques to make vessels that will serve as a canvas for design ideas. Students are encouraged to bring a sketchbook to class — this class is open to all levels.

Students will receive a complimentary 25 pound bag of cone 6 clay, but may need to purchase additional clay for their personal projects. All other materials and tools will be provided. Enrollment in this course includes additional access to one monitored Open Studio session per week.

Unfinished student work should be picked up within two weeks of last class.

Move beyond the appreciation of jewelry to creation by learning the fundamentals of jewelry-making techniques, design and fabrication. A range of hand-tool processes will be covered through practical exercises and imaginative concept-based projects. You will acquire a solid set of technical skills, and will also exercise your creative design skills. The non-technical side of the class focuses on idea development and the critical-thinking skills needed to realize a vision. This course will review sawing, filing, soldering, scoring/bending, texturing, forming, linkages, wire construction and more. No prior metal-smithing skills are necessary. Metal will be provided for practice and exercises, but students may need to pay for additional metals needed for their independent work.

Visit thesteelyard.org to register for classes and find out more about our registration and enrollment policies.

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 will introduce students 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 have the full day to 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.

Visit thesteelyard.org to register for classes and find out more about our registration and enrollment policies.

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 will introduce students 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 have the full day to 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.

Visit thesteelyard.org to register for classes and find out more about our registration and enrollment policies.

In Handbuilding Basics, students will have access to our ceramics studio and a knowledgeable instructor to guide them through learning the language of clay. This class is a great fit for beginners with no prior experience, and intermediate students pursuing independent projects.

This class will explore vessel making through multiple handbuilding techniques such as pinch pot, coil, and slab building methods to create functional and sculptural forms. Students will also learn about surface decoration through a variety of glaze applications and techniques. Class projects will investigate function, design, scale, and concept based on ancient objects and contemporary artists working in the field of ceramics. Students will leave this class with a greater understanding of the material, ceramic process, and confidence to hand build any form in clay. No previous ceramics experience necessary—this class is open to all levels. Materials and tools will be provided.

Do you like to draw, doodle or design? Learn to bring your 2D design ideas to your 3D ceramic work. In this class students will explore ways to create a variety of rich surface decoration on wheel thrown or hand built ceramic forms. Weekly demos will cover techniques such as slip transfers, stenciling, stamping, slip inlay, sgraffito, wax resists and more. Wheel throwing experience is helpful but not necessary, the course will cover basic hand building techniques to make vessels that will serve as a canvas for design ideas. Students are encouraged to bring a sketchbook to class — this class is open to all levels.

Students will receive a complimentary 25 pound bag of cone 6 clay, but may need to purchase additional clay for their personal projects. All other materials and tools will be provided. Enrollment in this course includes additional access to one monitored Open Studio session per week.

Unfinished student work should be picked up within two weeks of last class.

Move beyond the appreciation of jewelry to creation by learning the fundamentals of jewelry-making techniques, design and fabrication. A range of hand-tool processes will be covered through practical exercises and imaginative concept-based projects. You will acquire a solid set of technical skills, and will also exercise your creative design skills. The non-technical side of the class focuses on idea development and the critical-thinking skills needed to realize a vision. This course will review sawing, filing, soldering, scoring/bending, texturing, forming, linkages, wire construction and more. No prior metal-smithing skills are necessary. Metal will be provided for practice and exercises, but students may need to pay for additional metals needed for their independent work.

Visit thesteelyard.org to register for classes and find out more about our registration and enrollment policies.

In Handbuilding Basics, students will have access to our ceramics studio and a knowledgeable instructor to guide them through learning the language of clay. This class is a great fit for beginners with no prior experience, and intermediate students pursuing independent projects.

This class will explore vessel making through multiple handbuilding techniques such as pinch pot, coil, and slab building methods to create functional and sculptural forms. Students will also learn about surface decoration through a variety of glaze applications and techniques. Class projects will investigate function, design, scale, and concept based on ancient objects and contemporary artists working in the field of ceramics. Students will leave this class with a greater understanding of the material, ceramic process, and confidence to hand build any form in clay. No previous ceramics experience necessary—this class is open to all levels. Materials and tools will be provided.

Move beyond the appreciation of jewelry to creation by learning the fundamentals of jewelry-making techniques, design and fabrication. A range of hand-tool processes will be covered through practical exercises and imaginative concept-based projects. You will acquire a solid set of technical skills, and will also exercise your creative design skills. The non-technical side of the class focuses on idea development and the critical-thinking skills needed to realize a vision. This course will review sawing, filing, soldering, scoring/bending, texturing, forming, linkages, wire construction and more. No prior metal-smithing skills are necessary. Metal will be provided for practice and exercises, but students may need to pay for additional metals needed for their independent work.

Visit thesteelyard.org to register for classes and find out more about our registration and enrollment policies.

Steel is typically seen as a rigid, industrial material – steel girders support vast roofs, steel automobiles are stamped out with machine precision, and even mundane items such as food cans and kitchen appliances are created with straight, exact lines. In this class we’ll be exploring how we can change this rigid material into a graceful, organic shape using both new and old techniques.

We’ll use a blend of modern and ancient techniques to shape mild steel and add character and fluidness to what will ultimately become a tentacle-shaped keychain. Students will learn blacksmithing techniques that reach back as far as the 14th century such as drawing, tapering, and bending in addition to modern techniques such as MIG welding to create additional features on our tentacle. Particular attention will be paid to hammer technique while blacksmithing as this class serves as an introduction to blacksmithing. 

Students will also be introduced to basic shop techniques and safety including the use of belt sanders, angle grinders, and drill presses. A small amount of introduction to MIG welding will be provided but this course will not cover MIG welding techniques in depth.

Students should wear comfortable, natural fiber (cotton or wool) clothing, long pants, and closed-toe shoes and expect to get dirty.