Forging a Stylish Hairpin

with John Harvey

Next session: October 26th, 2026

$150 More Info

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This three-hour taster class shows you how to forge an eye-catching two-piece hairpin for you or to give as a gift! Learn basic blacksmithing skills such as tapering, scrolling, bending, twisting, and finishing. This project is a great entry to blacksmithing while introducing you to wearable forged art. The skills you learn in this class will carry over to other forging projects.

No prior experience is needed. You will learn basic blacksmithing techniques including tapering, scrolling, bending, twisting, and finishing.

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.

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 2 payments of $50.00, paid weekly

Welding Taster: Gleaming the Cube

with Kendra Plumley

Next session: November 10th, 2026

$180 More Info

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.

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 2 payments of $65.00, paid every two weeks

Build your own Pendant: Lost wax build up method

with Julianna Conti

Next session: November 29th, 2026

$165 More Info

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Looking for a meditative, intuitive way to express your creativity? You’ll love the lost wax build-up method. In this one-day workshop, we’ll drip, layer, and build with molten wax to create abstract, freeform pendants. You’ll learn the basics of working with red wax, then tap into a creative flow as you build your own unique design. Whether you prefer smooth, flowing forms or bold, textured surfaces, you’ll be supported in finding your own voice in wax. Finished wax pendants will be cast in sterling silver and returned after the workshop. This hands-on process is perfect for anyone looking for a relaxed, expressive creative outlet.

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 my life. She has been teaching at The Steel Yard for a year and absolutely loves 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.

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 1 payment of $115.00

Halloween Baskets

with Pam Stiles

Next session: October 25th, 2026

$150 More Info

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Boo! There’s nothing scary about making this basket to hold all of your Halloween treats. The 6″ x 11″ x 7″ basket will use classic Halloween colors to delight trick-or-treaters. Basic basketry techniques will be used – stop and start weaving and creating chicken feet and an overlay. By the end of class, you’ll have a basket ready to fill for October 31 and use for years to come.

INSTRUCTOR BIO: A life-long educator, Pam Stiles takes her education background and brings it to The Steel Yard to share her love of basketry. For years, Pam has been crafting all types of baskets, creating original designs that are functional and stylish. As a member of Pam’s class, you’ll be supported, encouraged, and have a great time.

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

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 2 payments of $50.00, paid weekly

Forge your own Chopsticks

with John Harvey

Next session: November 7th, 2026

$250 More Info

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.

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 4 payments of $50.00, paid weekly

Clay Game Lab: Handbuilding, Glazing and Game Design

with Frankie Pittorf

Next session: November 7th to 8th, 2026

$240 More Info

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Ever wanted to build the board game you’ve been dreaming up — out of clay? In this hands-on ceramics course, you’ll design and construct your own game boards while learning core handbuilding techniques. We’ll start with wedging clay and move into coil building, slab building, and the pinch pot method, using each technique to bring a personal game concept to life in three dimensions. You’ll also learn foundational surface design skills — underglazing and sgraffito — to add detail, texture, and personality to your board, finishing with a full glaze application. This course blends creative problem-solving with technical skill-building. You’ll design a functional object with rules, strategy, and a story behind it. No prior ceramics experience is needed — just curiosity and a willingness to get your hands dirty.

INSTRUCTOR BIO:

Frankie Pittorf is an interdisciplinary artist creating work that centers around themes of identity, adolescence, and memory. Frankie’s work operates within a realm between past and present and investigates how childhood shapes Queer and Trans identities. Frankie received their BFA in studio arts from Syracuse University in 2022 with a focus on ceramics and jewelry.

Ana Popescu is a Romanian-American artist based in Providence. Working primarily in clay, she combines traditional ceramic processes with digital fabrication, architectural references, and a healthy obsession with ornament, history, and material experimentation. Before earning her MFA in Ceramics from RISD in 2025, Ana spent over a decade creating immersive installations, performances, and large-scale productions in New York City and beyond.

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

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 2 payments of $95.00, paid every two weeks

Day of the Tentacle

with Mark Oribello

Next session: December 12th, 2026

$225 More Info

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

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.

No prior experience is needed. You will learn basic blacksmithing techniques including tapering, scrolling, bending, twisting, and finishing.

INSTRUCTOR BIO:

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

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 2 payments of $87.50, paid every four weeks

Weekend Welding

with Various Instructors

Next session: November 7th to 8th, 2026

$400 More Info

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.

Payment plan available: $100.00 deposit plus 4 payments of $75.00, paid weekly

Punch it, Chewie! Making tempered punches and chisels from carbon steel

with Mark Oribello

Next session: December 5th, 2026

$220 More Info

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Blacksmiths have historically been the source of tools, from ploughshares to knives and axes to tableware. More importantly, blacksmiths have always made and altered their own tools to suit the job at hand. In this class we’ll make a blacksmith’s round punch and chisel out of high-carbon steel – two hand tools used regularly by blacksmiths.

You’ll learn how to work with high-carbon steel, how to temper it for regular use, and some options for other shapes and hand tools. Students should have had at least one other blacksmithing class and should know how to draw and taper steel. Students should also be able to start, tend, and break down a coal forge fire.

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

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 2 payments of $85.00, paid every four weeks

Photolithography on CLay

with Ava Moniz

Next session: November 6th, 2026

$125 More Info

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Are you interested in working with ceramics but also have a love for photography, illustration, printmaking, or ALL THREE? Join us in this three hour workshop to bring your favorite photos into the tangible ceramic world! Students who join this class will be guided through the process of Photolithography and its application onto ceramic tiles. We will go over technique as well as finesse to make your ceramic tiles as unique as you!

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.

Payment plan available: $50.00 deposit plus 1 payment of $75.00