The Crucible

More than half of our family ornament classes are sold out! But it's not too late to sign up for Enamel Ornaments on November 18 and Ceramic Ornaments on November 21 for families with kids 12+ and 8+ respectively. Making art as a family can help kids build confidence and express their feelings. Plus, in a year with so many challenges, it's a great opportunity to build a new family tradition. Register at thecrucible.org/product-category/class/ and in the meantime, get inspired by these ornaments from ceramicist Bethany Scott and enamel artist Laura Bracken #CrucibleInspiration

Support local artists, makers, and small businesses by shopping 80+ vendors during The Crucible's Virtual GIFTY! This year has been incredibly challenging for our maker community and shopping small is a great way to show your support. Plus, many of our vendors are offering exclusive GIFTY discounts. We're especially excited to have a handful of select vendor goods for sale through Giving Back at GIFTY where 100% of sales go toward Crucible programming. Virtual GIFTY is live now through Sunday, December 20, and shopping early ensures you'll have your gifts ready and wrapped in time for the holidays. See all the GIFTY magic at thecrucible.org/e/virtual-gifty-2020-local-artisanal-gifts/.

For Kristen and her mom Pam, creativity comes naturally. The pair regularly make mosaics together, and Kristen is a jeweler and potter. A few weeks back Kristen and Pam added another artistic skill to their repertoireIndigo Dyeing and Shibori. "I may have found another hobby!" said Kristen after the class. You too can find a new hobby in one of our upcoming Private Workshops, perfect for families and friends who want to spend time together in a safe, socially distanced environment. Choose from workshops in Woodworking, Ceramics, Blacksmithing, and more. Plus, we just added our first virtual workshop in Indigo Dyeing where you and your loved ones can make no matter how near or far you may be. Check out all the options at thecrucible.org/product-category/class/private-group/

If you haven't voted, GO VOTE! Right now! Find your polling place at sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place. If you have voted, here is a satisfying gold ring casting video to help you relax. #CrucibleInspiration via Modern Goldsmith

Major upgrade announcement! For the past few weeks, our Bike Shop team has been shifting operations from the small area near our back gate to a bigger and better space around the corner. This expansion will allow us to take our Bike programs even further and offer greater support to our West Oakland community. Check out this great video from Saturday's Bike Fix-A-Thon team hard at work in the new space. And come see it for yourself in an upcoming Bike Shop classthecrucible.org/product-category/class/bike-shop/

There's nothing spookier than getting sick, so we hope you're finding fun ways to safely celebrate Halloween. If you're looking for something to watch, we recommend diving into some spooky makes on Youtube, like this one from Black Bear Forge. Each ghoul was brought to life from a scrap piece of bar by splitting and reshaping the metal. We love how much character each one possesses. #CrucibleInspiration

In our recent Youth ARC Welding class, 13-year-old Griff spent two days making over a dozen sculptures, including one featuring forged work by our Blacksmithing department. "I found this forged bracelet in the scrap pile," Griff told us, "and just wanted to build off of it." In Crucible youth classes, students can tap into their creativity while exploring STEAM concepts, building confidence, and developing skills in the industrial artsopportunities even more valuable now as students continue to do their schooling virtually. You can register your students for an upcoming November weekend class in Ceramics, Glass Flameworking, Blacksmithing, and Bike Shop. Spots are filling upregister at thecrucible.org/product-category/class/youth

Did you know that drinking tea from a teapot you made actually makes it more delicious?! Starting November 1, our brand new Teapot And Cups will run for the first time ever. Ceramics Department Head, Rosa Doranteswho made the tea set seen herewill show you the techniques for slab building your set before bisque firing and decorating with food-safe glazes. There are only three spots left so don't wait to sign up for this special class. thecrucible.org/product/teapot-and-cups/

Family classes are happening in less than a month! After successfully piloting our ornament classes last fall, we're excited to be bringing them back in 2020. Families with kids as young as 8-years-old can register for classes happening November 18 and 21. It's a great opportunity to create new holiday memories and traditions together. Register today at thecrucible.org/product-category/class/.

Our new Crucible bags are tote-ally awesome ! Beautifully hand-dyed by our Leather, Textiles, and Fine Arts Department Head, Kristin Arzt, these 100% cotton canvas totes are perfect for groceries, beach outings, or bringing extra tools to the studio while showing your Crucible pride! Each tote helps us continue to keep the industrial arts accessible to everyone. Grab your tote at thecrucible.org/product/crucible-apparel-hand-dyed-tote-bag/. And shoutout to our tote model Maliq Nathaniel.

Sure, ghosts in your coffee could be pretty scary, but not as scary as no coffee at all! Checkout these two variations on the ghost mug theme from potter Holly Coley and fabricator Tory Fink. #CrucibleInspiration

As of 2019 the American Welding Society (AWS) estimated that only about 5% of welding personnel are female. Fortunately, those numbers seem to be changing. "I see a lot of growing intolerance for inequity," says welding department co-head Ana Gallira on the welding profession. A few weeks back, Ana led our fist ever Women's TIG Welding I class, the latest in a series of Crucible classes designed as an inclusive, welcoming environment for women and gender-expansive individuals. "It's always exciting to teach welding classes exclusively for women," she told us. "I feel privileged to provide space for people to learn and build confidence, to challenge the biases towards women working and participating in male-dominated fields." Swipe to see more from Ana's students and keep an eye out for our next Women's welding class coming in early 2021!

Just over a week ago, students and instructors gathered around the raku kiln to put their pieces through the glaze ringer. Raku is a centuries-old Japanese technique where pieces are removed from the kiln glowing hot. In the Western tradition, popularized in the 20th century and seen in use here, the pieces are placed in an open-air container filled with combustible material, giving the final pieces a variety of rich colors and surface textures. It's an outcome that's nearly impossible to predict! Our next Raku class starts this December, and spots are filling up. If you have ceramics experience and want to take your glaze game up a notch, register at thecrucible.org/product/raku/

Painter and muralist Amir H. Fallah is getting out the vote the best way he knows how: with art! He's partnered with Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose to exhibit his work while the museum operates as a polling place from 10/31-11/3. The goal of the work, says Fallah, is to get voters "to think about what their vote means, how it affects everyone and everything around them". Fallah is one of hundreds of artists across the US working to inspire participation in democracy and increase voter turnout. In our latest blog post, we've collected a handful of these works for you to explore and investigate. Check our full roundup at thecrucible.org/blog and don't forget to cast your ballot on or before November 3!