In Pratt Fine Arts Center’s sculpture studio, you can play, experiment and master working in bronze, steel, wood, stone and more. In our fully-equipped studios, learn from our experienced instructors to create successful three-dimensional works of art. At Pratt, professional artists can learn new skills; beginners will create their very first pieces. Everyone has fun.
Pratt is very excited to make our new woodshop available to students and renters. This class is designed to be the core introductory class that covers good studio practices while learning how to safely use all of the equipment and tools in the main woodworking studio. It will also be the primary prerequisite class for most of the more advanced woodworking classes. Based around several small projects designed by the instructor, you will gain enough experience to comfortably and safely use each piece of equipment, as well as an understanding of its benefits and limitations. This is a great way to begin woodworking or to refine the skills that you already have. Class time will be split between demonstrations, and individual hands-on shop time creating small projects from start to finish.
The main objective of this class is to focus on skill building and some specialized tool making. You will explore more advanced techniques such as chisel work, upset corners, rivets and joinery. This class is meant to enhance the skills and controlled hammer work learned in Beginning Blacksmithing. You will also learn how to use these more advanced techniques in creating decorative elements for functional applications as well as producing tooling that will improve efficiency and work experience.
Prerequisite: Beginning Blacksmithing or equivalent
Supply Fee: $45
Bend It: Wood Steaming and Lamination Workshop | 5.25
The art of steam bending and lamination have been used for generations in sculpture, furniture making, boat building, and advanced woodworking projects. While the results can be quite remarkable, the process is fairly simple and requires only a few basic tools. This class will start with the basics: various wood species that lend themselves to bending and where they can be found, the equipment and setup necessary to begin steaming in a small studio, the possibilities and limitations of both traditional wood steaming and wood lamination techniques and when to choose one over the other, and finally the proper steps to follow from raw lumber to refined curved forms ready to be finished. You will have time to work with both processes and apply the skills learned while working on individual small projects under the instructor's supervision.
Prerequisite: Basic woodworking experience
Supply Fee $40
Creative Metalworking – Forging and Welding | 5.26
Gain a basic understanding of forging, metal-forming, and welding in this introductory class. Learn how to bend, shape, twist, texture, and join steel to create decorative and organic forms without focusing too heavily on traditional, more technical processes of Pratt's other blacksmithing classes. By combining elements of fabrication and metal forming, you'll become comfortable in both shops and get a taste for the techniques you might want to explore more at Pratt.
Prerequisite: None
Supply Fee $45
Pratt offers one of the few blacksmithing programs in the region. Blacksmithing, or forging, is about transforming and shaping mild steel through the use of heat. Using basic techniques such as hammering, twisting, tapers, bends, and splits, you will have the opportunity to create sculptural and functional objects. Everyone is welcome, whether you're interested in taking more advanced blacksmithing classes or you just want a basic understanding of the process.
Prerequisite: None
Supply Fee $45
Stonecarving has captured the imagination of artists throughout history for its permanence, tactility, and sensual beauty. Take advantage of Pratt’s stone yard facility and begin working with soft stone. You’ll learn both ancient and modern reductive sculpting techniques with hand carving tools, power tools, and pneumatics. This is a great way to learn about types of stone and how to work with them while producing a small piece by the end of the class. Prerequisite: None
In this class for continuing stonecarving students, you'll learn how to design a piece from start to finish -- from sketching on paper to using your skills to transfer that design to stone. The class will include further discussion of tools, types of stone, and a deeper exploration of carving processes. To get the most out of this class, you must be comfortable with using hand, power, and pneumatic carving tools.
Prerequisite: Beginning Stonecarving
Introduction to Welding and the Sculptural Form | 6.10
While covering the same technical material as Beginning Welding and Metal Fabrication, this class is designed to also increase your understanding of sculpture and the elements and principles of 3D design. You will become familiar with welding processes, as well as plasma cutting and shop equipment. By blending both technical and aesthetic skills, you will gain confidence working with steel and also see and create with purpose. Attending the first two classes is mandatory.
Prerequisite: None
Supply Fee $60
Spend an evening forging. This class is designed as a short, fun blacksmithing experience and demonstration of basic forging processes. It is a great opportunity to explore what the Pratt forging shop has to offer, make a sculpture, hooks, or just enjoy hammering and twisting! If you're not sure if you want to take a full length forging class this is an entertaining way to try it out before registering.
Prerequisite: None
Spend an evening welding. This class is designed as a short, fun welding experience and demonstration of the MIG welding process. It is a great opportunity to explore what the Pratt fabrication shop has to offer and make a sculpture or small stand. If you're not sure if you want to take a full length welding class, this is an entertaining way to try it out before registering.
Intended for experienced investment casters, this class will provide the time, materials, guidance and a pour! Day one: discuss project and sprue your prepared wax pattern. Day two: invest your work. Day three: cast. Day four: devest and finish your piece. You'll be allowed one single or two small investments. Come to the first class with a completed wax pattern or mold ready to pour your wax positive. The cost of bronze is not included in the tuition.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Bronze Casting
Supply Fee - Sculpture $115
Continuing welders and fabricators: take this class to expand your skills and learn TIG welding for stainless steel, aluminum, and bronze. Learn how to design and plan a project, including layout, preparing cost estimates, purchasing materials, and troubleshooting fabrication problems. Bring your own ideas and learn processes to help you complete your project.
Prerequisite: Beginning Welding or equivalent
Supply Fee - Sculpture $45
"The art of woodturning can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt. This two day workshop will introduce you to the history, terminology and tools involved, as well as get you working hands-on with two types of turning: spindle turning and faceplate turning. By the end of the class you will have a bowl form and a spindle form such as a candle stick or mallet. The instructor will also go over how to properly sharpen and maintain your hand tools, and touch on enhancements to turned objects. This is a great way to get comfortable working on the lathe and take home a couple of projects for yourself or for holiday gifts!
Prerequisite: None
Supply Fee $50"
Introduce yourself to the useful and versatile skills needed to begin working with steel. You'll learn oxy-acetylene and MIG welding as well as plasma-cutting and metal fabrication equipment including the bandsaw, chopsaw, coldsaw, drillpress, grinders, shears, and benders. This class is designed for anyone looking to incorporate metal into their artistic and technical vocabulary. Attending the first two classes is imperative. Class includes a blacksmithing demonstration.
Prerequisite: None
Supply Fee $60
The art of steam bending has been used for generations in sculpture, furniture making, boat building, and advanced woodworking projects. While the results can be quite remarkable, the process is fairly simple and requires only a few basic tools. This class will start with the basics: various wood species that lend themselves to bending and where they can be found, the equipment and setup necessary to begin steaming in a small studio, the possibilities and limitations of traditional wood steaming techniques and when to choose one over the other, and finally the proper steps to follow from raw lumber to refined curved forms ready to be finished. You will have time in class to work with the processes and apply the skills learned while working on individual small projects under the instructor's supervision.
Prerequisite: Basic woodworking experience
Supply Fee $40
Introduce yourself to the useful and versatile skills needed to begin working with steel. You'll learn oxy-acetylene and MIG welding as well as plasma-cutting and metal fabrication equipment including the bandsaw, chopsaw, coldsaw, drillpress, grinders, shears, and benders. This class is designed for anyone looking to incorporate metal into their artistic and technical vocabulary. Attending the first two classes is imperative. Class includes a blacksmithing demonstration.
Prerequisite: None
Supply Fee $60
"This is the first class in a series of classes that will cover the art of joining two pieces of wood together. Here you will cover the most common woodworking joints using mostly power equipment and address the many variables that go into choosing and fabricating a joint: considering the characteristics of the wood species, wood grain, making helpful jigs, benefits and limitations of various joints and how that relates to a project, and then a step-by-step process for creating each type of joint. This is a skill building class, not a project class, so the objective will be for each student to leave class with examples of each joint to go along with reference material. It is a great class to pick up new skills and professional practices that will help you work more accurately and efficiently.
Prerequsite: None
Supply Fee $45"
Spend an evening welding. This class is designed as a short, fun welding experience and demonstration of the MIG welding process. It is a great opportunity to explore what the Pratt fabrication shop has to offer and make a sculpture or small stand. If you're not sure if you want to take a full length welding class, this is an entertaining way to try it out before registering.
