Yard Courses Calendar

For centuries blacksmiths stood at the center of a community, creating everyday utilitarian items needed for day-to-day life. While the modern blacksmith is often conflated with bladesmiths modern blacksmiths more often create artisanal versions of everyday items. Hand-wrought hinges are a perfect example of the modern blacksmith’s art, combining functionality with unique design.

This class will introduce students to the steps and skills required to start creating decorative hinges, from forming the knuckles to shaping the leaves to final fit and filing. While general steps for fabrication and forming will be given each student will be encouraged to adjust the design of their hinges to meet personal taste and preference. Day one will be an introduction to the process, tools, and techniques required to make one half of a set of functioning hinges. The second day will be spent creating a second, matching hinge to complete the set.

Students should have some blacksmithing experience – at least one beginner class in which drawing and tapering have been practiced is recommended, and additional open studio time prior to the class is encouraged. Students should wear natural fiber clothes, gull-length pants, and closed toe shoes. Students should also bring a sketchbook or other method to create the initial design of the leaves.

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.

Using both the slab roller and the extruder to fabricate raw building materials, this course will focus on ceramic hand building techniques to construct sculptural and functional forms. Coils can be extruded for pinching and building, hollow pipe forms altered to become functional ware and ribbons extruded for tiles or handles are among the possibilities. This is a construction class with a focus on assembly and the attachment of various pieces to create the work. This intermediate level course will explore both geometric and organic forms and various methods of construction including jigs, templates and hump/slump molds. Basic ceramic processes including joining methods, darting, compression, scoring and drying will be covered as well as texture and surface treatments. Classes will consist of group and one on one demonstrations, work time and discussions of construction techniques, design strategies, working in series and glazing/finishing considerations. Students should be self motivated bringing project ideas and a sketchbook to class.

Students should be self motivated and have a knowledge of basic ceramic processes. Instead of assigning weekly projects, Instructor will demonstrate proper use of studio equipment as well as various construction methods for both sculptural and functional works. This is a construction class – using both the extruder and slab roller to create "building materials"with a focus on assembly and the attachment of various pieces to create the work.

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.

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of handbuilding ceramics and unleash their personal creativity utilizing simple molds. Why should you be slipping and scoring? When do you glaze? What is a mold? How do you pinch a wall straight? What even is a coil? All of these questions and more will be answered in this course. Through the use of ring molds, hump molds, and slump molds, students will be able to make a variety of pottery and sculptural forms from even a single mold. Molds can provide an approachable means of producing multiples for tableware or a starting point for sculpture, when you're scratching your head wondering what you should make. Students will gain the tools, confidence, and clarity to produce art pieces of their own design with few materials.

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.

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.

Using both the slab roller and the extruder to fabricate raw building materials, this course will focus on ceramic hand building techniques to construct sculptural and functional forms. Coils can be extruded for pinching and building, hollow pipe forms altered to become functional ware and ribbons extruded for tiles or handles are among the possibilities. This is a construction class with a focus on assembly and the attachment of various pieces to create the work. This intermediate level course will explore both geometric and organic forms and various methods of construction including jigs, templates and hump/slump molds. Basic ceramic processes including joining methods, darting, compression, scoring and drying will be covered as well as texture and surface treatments. Classes will consist of group and one on one demonstrations, work time and discussions of construction techniques, design strategies, working in series and glazing/finishing considerations. Students should be self motivated bringing project ideas and a sketchbook to class.

Students should be self motivated and have a knowledge of basic ceramic processes. Instead of assigning weekly projects, Instructor will demonstrate proper use of studio equipment as well as various construction methods for both sculptural and functional works. This is a construction class – using both the extruder and slab roller to create "building materials"with a focus on assembly and the attachment of various pieces to create the work.

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.

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of handbuilding ceramics and unleash their personal creativity utilizing simple molds. Why should you be slipping and scoring? When do you glaze? What is a mold? How do you pinch a wall straight? What even is a coil? All of these questions and more will be answered in this course. Through the use of ring molds, hump molds, and slump molds, students will be able to make a variety of pottery and sculptural forms from even a single mold. Molds can provide an approachable means of producing multiples for tableware or a starting point for sculpture, when you're scratching your head wondering what you should make. Students will gain the tools, confidence, and clarity to produce art pieces of their own design with few materials.

This self directed ceramics class will be an introduction to and hands on experience with firing a cone 10 soda kiln. Students should be self motivated and have a basic knowledge of ceramics and ceramic processes including hand built and wheel thrown forms. Class sessions will be divided into lecture and working periods and cover topics ranging from clay bodies, glazes and flashing slips to the effects of soda, oxidation/reduction atmospheres and basic kiln operation. Instructors will not assign projects but be available to assist and trouble shoot student work and demo hand building and wheel techniques as needed. The class will culminate in cone 10 soda firing with all students participating in the loading, firing and clean up. The final class will be a review of the firing and discussion of the work that came from it.

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. 

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.

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.