Yard Courses Calendar

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.

Come get down and dirty while learning to make functional and sculptural forms on the potter's wheel! In this course, students will learn how to use the potter's wheel to create cups, bowls, plates, vases, and pouring vessels. Students will practice throwing, trimming, making handles and spouts, and finishing and firing their pieces.

Students will experience clay both as a functional building material and as an expressive medium. Color and texture will be explored through a variety of slips and glazes. The instructor will lead demonstrations to give students more ideas as to what type of clay forms they could like to pursue. Students will also be exposed to the creative thought processes behind intellectual and intuitive decisions in ceramics.

Each week, a new technique will be demonstrated, and a new artist's artwork will be presented to ignite your imagination! No previous ceramics experience necessary—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.

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

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.

Come get down and dirty while learning to make functional and sculptural forms on the potter's wheel! In this course, students will learn how to use the potter's wheel to create cups, bowls, plates, vases, and pouring vessels. Students will practice throwing, trimming, making handles and spouts, and finishing and firing their pieces.

Students will experience clay both as a functional building material and as an expressive medium. Color and texture will be explored through a variety of slips and glazes. The instructor will lead demonstrations to give students more ideas as to what type of clay forms they could like to pursue. Students will also be exposed to the creative thought processes behind intellectual and intuitive decisions in ceramics.

Each week, a new technique will be demonstrated, and a new artist's artwork will be presented to ignite your imagination! No previous ceramics experience necessary—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.

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

Bring your ideas and let's try things together! Want to make sculptures? Dishes? Wall art? We can do that! Slab, coil, and pinch techniques will be discussed as needed, with an emphasis on experimentation and playful inquiry. 

We will not be using the pottery wheels. Some basic clay experience is helpful (one intro class for example), but students of all levels are welcome. There will be whole-class discussions as well as one-on-one time for individual troubleshooting. 

No previous ceramics experience necessary—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.Visit thesteelyard.org to register for classes and find out more about our registration and enrollment policies.

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 unique, 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, bending, twists, and texturing. This class focuses on forging techniques for small pieces; think less brute force and more precise detail. No need to be big and burly for this course.

No previous experience necessary; all tools and materials are provided. Students will leave the workshop with a completed bottle opener.

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

Come get down and dirty while learning to make functional and sculptural forms on the potter's wheel! In this course, students will learn how to use the potter's wheel to create cups, bowls, plates, vases, and pouring vessels. Students will practice throwing, trimming, making handles and spouts, and finishing and firing their pieces.

Students will experience clay both as a functional building material and as an expressive medium. Color and texture will be explored through a variety of slips and glazes. The instructor will lead demonstrations to give students more ideas as to what type of clay forms they could like to pursue. Students will also be exposed to the creative thought processes behind intellectual and intuitive decisions in ceramics.

Each week, a new technique will be demonstrated, and a new artist's artwork will be presented to ignite your imagination! No previous ceramics experience necessary—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.

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.

A perfect introduction to the craft of metalworking, this course will teach the basics of heating and shaping steel. In this course we will cover fundamental blacksmithing skills such as tapering, spreading, bending, scrolling, and shouldering. These techniques are present in all levels of blacksmithing: from creating simple hooks to more complicated projects. Exposure to the pace of working the material and understanding the forge and the tools will provide the beginner with the ability to take their ideas further.

Students in this course will utilize both coal and gas forges and will learn safe practice in the shop. No previous experience necessary, metal will be provided for practice and exercises, but students must 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.

This class will introduce students to basic metalworking techniques used in working mild steel with fire and traditional tools such as hammers and anvils – tools that have changed little over the last 3500 years, yet still remain effective for shaping steel in a way that modern fabrication techniques cannot. By using traditional techniques students will shape a piece of square mild steel into a decorative, organic, and useful wall hook while learning basic blacksmithing techniques.

No blacksmithing or metal fabrication knowledge is required. Students should wear natural fiber clothes, gull-length pants, and closed toe shoes, but personal protective equipment will be provided. Students should also bring a sketchbook or other method to explore options for their own project.

Bring your ideas and let's try things together! Want to make sculptures? Dishes? Wall art? We can do that! Slab, coil, and pinch techniques will be discussed as needed, with an emphasis on experimentation and playful inquiry. 

We will not be using the pottery wheels. Some basic clay experience is helpful (one intro class for example), but students of all levels are welcome. There will be whole-class discussions as well as one-on-one time for individual troubleshooting. 

No previous ceramics experience necessary—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.Visit thesteelyard.org to register for classes and find out more about our registration and enrollment policies.

Come get down and dirty while learning to make functional and sculptural forms on the potter's wheel! In this course, students will learn how to use the potter's wheel to create cups, bowls, plates, vases, and pouring vessels. Students will practice throwing, trimming, making handles and spouts, and finishing and firing their pieces.

Students will experience clay both as a functional building material and as an expressive medium. Color and texture will be explored through a variety of slips and glazes. The instructor will lead demonstrations to give students more ideas as to what type of clay forms they could like to pursue. Students will also be exposed to the creative thought processes behind intellectual and intuitive decisions in ceramics.

Each week, a new technique will be demonstrated, and a new artist's artwork will be presented to ignite your imagination! No previous ceramics experience necessary—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.

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

Come get down and dirty while learning to make functional and sculptural forms on the potter's wheel! In this course, students will learn how to use the potter's wheel to create cups, bowls, plates, vases, and pouring vessels. Students will practice throwing, trimming, making handles and spouts, and finishing and firing their pieces.

Students will experience clay both as a functional building material and as an expressive medium. Color and texture will be explored through a variety of slips and glazes. The instructor will lead demonstrations to give students more ideas as to what type of clay forms they could like to pursue. Students will also be exposed to the creative thought processes behind intellectual and intuitive decisions in ceramics.

Each week, a new technique will be demonstrated, and a new artist's artwork will be presented to ignite your imagination! No previous ceramics experience necessary—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.

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.