Sign up now for Spring!

The spring term is just a couple of weeks away. Now is the time to register for your next metals/jewelry class. Proceed to the next level of Jewelry/Metalsmithing sequential classes or take a workshop to keep your skills fresh and your inspiration flowing. Here's what's available in spring:

CLASSES:
Metalsmithing I—Introduction to Fabrication
Mon. 12:30 - 3:30 pm with Rebecca Melton
Mon. 6:30 - 9:30 pm with Kristin Shiga

Metalsmithing II—Surface Treatment/Hollow Forms
Tu. 12:30 - 3:30 pm with Rebecca Melton
Tu. 6:30 - 9:30 pm with Laurie Hall

Metalsmithing III—Findings & Mechanisms
Wed. 9:30 am - 12:30 pm with Rebecca Melton
Wed. 6:30 - 9:30 pm with Julie Marino

Chasing and Repoussé
Fri. 9:00 am – 12:30 pm with Rebecca Melton

Metal Clay Trends & Techniques
Tu. 9:00 am - 12:00 pm with Debra Carus

NEW! Statement Jewelry
Thur. 9:30 am - 12:30 pm with Rebecca Melton

Advanced Stonesetting I
Thur. 6:30 - 9:30 pm with Bruce McKay

WORKSHOPS:
Text in Jewelry
Sat 10:00 am - 1:00 pm April 7 – 28 [4 sessions] with Laurie Hall

Casting—Make Your Own Rings
Sat 10:00 am - 1:00 pm May 5 – 26 [4 sessions] with Julie Marino

Flex Shaft Tips & Tricks
Sat. 10:00 - 4:00 pm June 2 [1 session] with Kristin Shiga

Color on Metal Clay— Enamels, Resins & More
Sa.-Su. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm June 9 - 10 [2 sessions] with Debra Carus


To learn more or to register, visit MAC's web site.

See you in the studio!

Wednesday Night Casting - some photos

I thought I'd post a few photos of the Wednesday night casting class so you can get a preview. Remember I'll be teaching a ring workshop in the spring - Four Saturday mornings, May 5-26th!

Spring Registration Opens Tomorrow!

Despite our dreary weather of late, spring has sprung at MAC! The spring schedule is available now at the MAC website, and paper catalogs should be on the way to you soon. You can peruse the metals offerings on pages 28 & 29 of the catalog.

Don't wait to register for your favorite class - spots can fill up fast. You can register starting on Monday, February 13 online or by calling MAC at 503.823.ARTS.

See you in the studio!

Welcome to Iishah Hyatt!

A new instructor has joined our ranks in the metals program at MAC. Iishah Hyatt is a graduate of Oregon College of Art and Craft and comes to us with a deep interest in figurative sculpture on a very small scale. Check out her website to see the marvels she casts using the lost wax process!

Julie Marino's Introduction to Casting class got to witness Iishah's techniques first hand as she subbed for Julie this Wednesday. Hopefully you'll get a chance to learn from her soon, as well! Look for workshops from Iishah in future catalogs.

Saturday Morning Studio

We're having a great time in the studio on Saturday mornings -- it's the perfect time to work projects through to completion, and exchange ideas and inspiration with people from all the different classes at MAC Metals.






Julie Marino - the studio monitor on Saturday mornings, pondering her next move...





Candy working on preparing metals for the etchant...





Here is an example of Cynthia's work -- who is etching mild steel -- beautiful results...





We really get to spread out on Saturdays -- there's plenty of room left! Lynn is pictured with her workspace, thinking about what she's going to create....




Julie doing a quick demo for Lynn on reticulation on a scrap piece of bronze.




Lynn shaping rings...




Candy annealing metal.




Lynn sharing her technique for rings with us.





Thanks to all the students for making Saturday mornings interesting! We have such a wonderful and vibrant community here -- I hope to see you all in open studio this session...

Warm Regards,

Julie

MAC Metals Studio Renovation!

It's hard to believe how many changes we were able to make in just two short weeks before fall classes started last Monday. Thanks to the support of Executive Director Michael Walsh and our board, the Ceramics department was able to complete a major remodel in their space, including a ventilated glaze mixing room that allowed them to move all glaze materials out of the metals studio! This extra room gave us the opportunity to better utilize our space.

There are now five soldering stations that can be used simultaneously, four flex shaft stations, a full hood for all the kilns and a ton more storage so we can integrate the new tools and equipment from the Temple donation into our studio. With new upper cabinets on the South wall, we finally have room for a metals library (donations are welcome!). Our glass and mosaic friends also have more storage, and the glass fusing kiln has been moved into our studio for their ease of use.

All of these changes were in direct response to student comments on your course evaluations, so your input really does count. Thank you! More improvements will continue to trickle in as the weeks go on. Stay tuned, and enjoy!

Tool and Equipment Donation for MAC Metals!

It is with enormous gratitude that I share this news with you...

The MAC Metals program is the lucky recipient of Tom Temple's impressive collection of metalsmithing tools and equipment. Tom is an accomplished ceramic and metal artist living in Bend. He taught art for many years and established the ceramics and metals programs at Central Oregon Community College - right down to designing the studios.

I learned about Tom almost a year ago from fellow metalsmith Greg Wilbur whose wife, Sandy, was an art student of Tom's in high school. Since then, we have been in conversations about his desire to pass on his studio tools and supplies to a metals program in need. I'm so honored that he chose MAC!

Tom and his wife, Phillis (a talented artist and teacher in her own right, pictured with Tom above), spent months cataloging and packing the contents of Tom's studio to ready things for me to pick up this summer. If you're a current student, you have probably noticed that the new enameling kiln and enamels are already in use in MAC's studio. Additional tools, books and equipment will be integrated in the coming weeks as storage becomes available.

During my visit to Bend for the pickup two weeks ago, I had the honor of staying with the Temples in their beautiful, art-filled (and artful!) home (see garden photo below). They also took the time to show me around Bend, and I was deeply moved by how many people approached both Tom and Phillis on the street, in galleries and in restaurants to acknowledge the influence they have had on their lives (or their parents', or even grandparents'!). The experience really inspired me to strive to be a better teacher.

Thank you, Tom and Phillis, for very generously endowing us with these precious tools and supplies. They will really help MAC Metals grow to the next level. And thanks to Greg Wilbur for making this connection possible!