Metals & Jewelry Workshops
2022 Workshop Season Update:
Touchstone is again offering a modified workshop season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Please review our COVID-19 policy* and our cancellation policy* prior to registering for any workshop.
*Subject to change, check back for up-to-date information. Registered participants will be notified of any changes.
Weekend Workshops: AUG 27 through SEPT 26
AUG 27-29| 3-DAY (SAT-MON)
Picture in Picture in Picture
Instructor: Andrew Kuebeck
All Levels
$445 Member | $475 Non-Member
$45-$95 Materials and Studio Fees
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.
Fusing enamel to the surface of metal creates infinite opportunities to include imagery into your work. This workshop will focus on digital image creation, manipulation, application, and resolution of enameled plates featuring your own photographic imagery with discussions on how to use them in future jewelry work. Combining traditional enameling techniques with contemporary approaches including enamel decals and photographic image etching; participants will be able to create striking enamel compositions that address the surface of the metal plate, the interior of the enamel as well as the enamel’s surface.
Andrew Kuebeck received his BFA from Bowling Green State University in 2008 and his MFA in Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing from Indiana University in 2011. He is an Assistant Professor and Area Head of the Jewelry/Metals/Enameling Department at Kent State University. Andrew works in a variety of formats ranging from functional jewelry to sculptural objects and vessels, and has lectured and has taught workshops nationally on the incorporation of photographic images into jewelry pieces and vessels. He has exhibited regionally & nationally and has had his work appear in numerous publications including 500 Enameled Objects, 21st Century Jewelry, Wrap, Stitch, Fold, and Rivet, and Metalsmith and Niche magazines.
SEP 10-12| 3-DAY (SAT-MON)
Set It!
Instructor: Everett Hoffman
No Experience/Beginner
$445 Member | $475 Non-Member
$45-$95 Materials and Studio Fees
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment
Explore all the ways that metal can be used to create one-of-a-kind settings that will trap all your precious materials from gemstones to found objects. This workshop will cover basic steps to making functional prong and tab settings. During the workshop, you will also explore ways to set odd-shaped stones and objects. You will learn and expand on the techniques of soldering, cutting, finishing, and will leave with 1-2 completed pieces.
Everett Hoffman is a cross disciplinary artist, curator, and writer currently completing a three-year residency at Penland School of Craft where he lives with his partner and their dog Clementine. He received his MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University (2018), and BFA from Boise State University (2013). Everett has written for the publications Metalsmith, and Art Jewelry Forum, and his work has been published in BmoreArt, and Jewelry and Metalsmithing Survey. His work has been exhibited at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Contemporary Craft Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, Soil Gallery, Seattle, WA, and the Benaki Museum in Athens Greece.
Website: everetthoffman.net
Instagram: @everetthoffman
SEP 17-18 | 2-DAY (SAT-SUN)
Contemporary Chains
Instructor: Katie Rearick
All Levels
$320 Member | $350 Non-Member
$75-$125 Materials and Studio Fees
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.
Learn how to develop and design your own linkage system to create a necklace and/or bracelet. You will be introduced to a variety of designs and techniques to make contemporary chains and explore clasp designs. You will learn the basics of sawing, filing, annealing, soldering and forming. Surface design and finishing techniques will also be taught. This workshop is suited for students of all levels.
Katie Rearick received her BFA with an emphasis in Metal/Jewelry from Western Michigan University in 2008, and her MFA from SUNY New Paltz in 2012. Her work ranges from small-scale body adornment to large sculptural installations that utilize personal narrative as a starting point. Katie’s work was included in the publications 500 Gemstone Jewels and 500 Enameled Objects. Having founded the Allegheny Metals Collective in 2015, Katie is actively engaged in the Pittsburgh metals community and currently teaches workshops at Contemporary Craft. She also maintains a home studio in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA.
Website: katierearick.com
Instagram: @katierearick
SEP 24-26 | 3-DAY (SAT-MON)
Basic Bling
Instructor: Elizabeth Tokoly
No Experience/Beginner
$445 Member | $475 Non-Member
$75-$125 Materials and Studio Fees
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.
This workshop is intended to familiarize you with the necessary tools and techniques for jewelry and metalsmithing. A foundation of skills will allow you to make countless designs and hone your skills. We will discuss and perform techniques such as piercing and sawing, soldering, surface embellishment with hammers, chasing tools, roll printing, soldering, cold connection, forging, tube setting, and findings. We will create designs based on the techniques practiced and discuss ideas of creating a small collection.
Elizabeth Tokoly is a graduate from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. She is the founder of EatMetal Art Jewelry Gallery and Metals Studio. Her work exhibits nationally and can be found at events such as One of A Kind Chicago and Peter's Valley Craft Fair. Elizabeth is an educator at EatMetal Studio, Visual Arts Center of Summit, and The Art School of Old Church. She is published in numerous jewelry books and magazines such as MJSA, Metalsmith, British Vogue, 500 Earrings, and Lapidary Journal. Her Japanese Hexagonal Collar graces the cover of Chain Mail Jewelry Contemporary Designs from Classic Techniques. Elizabeth’s artistic approach is through math and nature. She loves to break down the raw beauty of nature into simple elements.
Website: eatmetal.org
Instagram: @eatmetalinc
Touchstone Center for Crafts prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or association preference. Touchstone Center for Crafts also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to its facilities and programming.
(724) 329-1370
All workshop participants must be 18 years or older except where indicated.
Workshops are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Many fill quickly and have wait lists months in advance – don’t wait to register! Registrations for onsite workshops should be made no later than 15 days ahead of the workshop start date so that we can count you when making workshop determinations, ordering materials, etc. Touchstone’s onsite workshop determinations are made 14 days in advance of their scheduled start dates, primarily based on the number of participants registered at that time. Virtual workshop registrations should be made at least 8 days ahead of the session as determinations are made 7 days in advance of the scheduled start time, primarily based on the number of participants registered at that time.
A processing fee of $15 will be added to 1-5 day onsite workshops and community wood firings.
Nonrefundable COVID-19 fees are charged to each participant per onsite workshop: $20/5-day workshop, $15/3-day workshop, and $10/1- & 2-day workshops. These fees help to offset the additional and increased expenses to Touchstone for cleaning, sanitizing, PPE, disposables, and other costs directly related to ensuring health and safety for all. This fee is nonrefundable.
To view a full listing of the Terms and Conditions as part of your enrollment, download the 2022 Participant Guide.
Previous Metals & Jewelry Workshops
Weeklong Workshops: JUNE 20 - AUGUST 19
JUL 11-15 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI) | EDUCATORS’ RETREAT
Intro to Jewelry and Metals
Instructor: Jim Bové
No Experience/Beginner
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$65-$115 Materials and Studio Fees
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.
Discover jewelry making! This workshop will offer a thorough introduction to jewelry and metalworking. You will learn basic fabrication techniques such as sawing, piercing, cold connections, soldering, stamping, forming, and even basic stone setting! There will also be an introduction to casting using cuttle-fish bone and discussion of tools and studio setup.
Jim Bové is an educator and artist living south of Pittsburgh, PA. His artwork has been exhibited around the world, including the Royal Ueno Museum in Tokyo, Japan, Schmuck in Munich, Germany, New Taipei City, Taiwan, and the Cheongju International Craft Biennale in South Korea. Jim teaches workshops throughout the United States and abroad.
Website: jimbove.com
Instagram: @jimbo_ve
JUL 17-22 | 6-DAY (SUN-FRI) | TEEN WEEK
Metallic Self-Portraits
Instructor: Boris Bally
All Levels (Ages 14-17)
$75 Materials and Studio Fees
In this fun week-long workshop, you will learn basic metalsmithing and fabrication techniques (layout, riveting, sawing, filing, soldering, forging, finish) and apply them to ‘selfie’ brooches. The second project will be to make rings.
Boris Bally is a Swiss-trained metalsmith/designer working in Providence, RI where he maintains his small studio business, Bally Humanufactured, LLC. Recently, Bally was interviewed for the Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Art: Oral History project, part of the Nanette Laitman Grant. His work has been featured in numerous international exhibitions and publications. Public collections include London’s V&A Museum, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Museum of Art & Design New York, Carnegie Museum of Art Pittsburgh, Brooklyn Museum, Luce Foundation Center, Renwick Gallery and Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum.
Website: borisbally.com
Instagram: @boris_bally
Due to unforseen circumstances, 'Hinges and Joints' with Tom Muir has been canceled. We are sorry for any inconvenience.
JUL 25-29 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI)
Containers for Curious Objects
Instructor: Lucas Pointon
Intermediate-Advanced
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
Materials and Studio Fees TBD
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.
During this workshop, participants will learn how to fabricate hollow containers with specific angles through the process of scoring and bending. We will also learn the standard three- to 5-knuckle hinge and how to integrate these principles into the finished container. There will be further discussion and demonstrations on precise lay out, mitering with files and scoring tools, and large-scale soldering. Different styles of catches and closures will be demonstrated as well. The skills learned in this workshop are applicable for jewelry, large scale containers, and sculptural objects. Students should walk away with the knowledge and confidence in precise metal fabrication as well as a tool kit description that is affordable and accessible to anyone outside of a professional setting. Basic sawing, filing, and soldering skill are necessary for this workshop.
Lucas Pointon currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin, teaching metals as an adjunct-lecturer for the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He teaches both beginning and advanced jewelry/metalsmithing courses and is a professional goldsmith managing a local company’s workshop. He graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2014 with a BFA, and in 2020, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with his MFA in metalsmithing/jewelry design. Many of his pieces formally reference Medieval reliquaries, which are elaborate and precious metal containers that hold the relic of a saint, such as a fragment of bone or an article of cloth. Lucas has utilized this format as a way to explore the deeply spiritual connection he feels towards the outdoors and his participation within it.
Website: lucpmetals.com
Instagram: @lucpmetals
AUG 1-5 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI) | NATURE WEEK
Repetition in Nature: An Enamel Workshop
Instructor: Tanya Crane
All Levels
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$70-$130 Materials and Studio Fees
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.
Learn various approaches to repetitive mark making in vitreous enamel using nature’s natural patterns as a guide. This course will introduce you to various techniques for replicating these patterns for enamel surfaces including stencils (both handmade and purchased), sgraffito, and pen work. Overglaze enamels and oils will allow for free mark making and painting abstract backgrounds and details. To finish your pieces, watch Tanya demonstrate various textured surface techniques that will transform your pieces into true abstract artforms.
Tanya Crane is a Professor of the Practice in Metals at the School Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts. Crane was the 2018 SNAG Emerging Artist selected to present at SOFA Chicago, the 2017 recipient of the Society of Arts and Crafts Artist Award, a Haystack Mountain School Artist Residency 2017 recipient, and a participant in the Smitten Forum Metalsmithing Residency at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, 2018. She exhibited her work in a solo exhibition at the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. Crane's work is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Stewart Program for Modern Design in Montreal, Canada, the Enamel Foundation Collection and the National Ornamental Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
Website: tanyamoniquejewelry.com
Instagram: @tmcrane613
AUG 8-12 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI)
Steel and Ceramic Jewelry
Instructor: Maia Leppo
All Levels
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$75-$125 Materials and Studio Fees
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.
Have you been wanting to add in alternative materials into your jewelry? In this class we will learn to make small colored porcelain elements to incorporate into steel jewelry. Working with colored porcelain, we will fabricate ceramic elements through bead making, cabochons, and dangle components. We will finish this jewelry with steel fabrication of earrings, chains, and mechanisms. No ceramics experience necessary, a basic understanding of jewelry making (in any metal) is required.
Maia graduated from Tufts University in 2008 with a degree in Biology and Community Health. She received training in jewelry and metals from various craft schools, including Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Pocosin Arts, Penland School of Crafts and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and her Masters of Fine Art from SUNY New Paltz. She has participated in artist residencies at Arrowmont and Fallingwater and has taught around the country including Penland, Arrowmont, Pocosin, and Touchstone. She currently works out of her studio in the Brewhouse Association on the south side of Pittsburgh.
Website: maialeppo.com
Instagram: @maialeppo
AUG 15-19 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI)
Cloisonné Enameling & Haiku
Instructor: Harlan Butt
All Levels
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$40-$90 Materials and Studio Fees
This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.
Learn the secrets of cloisonné enameling – a technique of drawing with wires and filling in around them with glass. You will learn how to use Harlan's special jig for forming repetitive shapes in cloisonné. Basic metalsmithing/jewelry skills and some enameling experience would be helpful, but beginners are welcome. The class will also be composing haiku poems as a means to focus, relax and foster a sense of community.
Harlan is Professor Emeritus at the University of North Texas, where he taught from 1976 to 2017. He is past President of the Enamelist Society, past President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, Fellow of the American Crafts Council, and member of the Society of American Silversmiths. He spent a year in Kyoto, Japan studying metalsmithing and cloisonné enameling in 1984-85. Harlan's work is represented in the collections of the Enamel Arts Foundation in Los Angeles, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute, the National Gallery of Australia, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and elsewhere.
Website: harlanwbutt.com
Instagram: @harlanw.butt
(724) 329-1370
All workshop participants must be 18 years or older except where indicated.
Workshops are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Many fill quickly and have wait lists months in advance – don’t wait to register! Registrations for onsite workshops should be made no later than 15 days ahead of the workshop start date so that we can count you when making workshop determinations, ordering materials, etc. Touchstone’s onsite workshop determinations are made 14 days in advance of their scheduled start dates, primarily based on the number of participants registered at that time. Virtual workshop registrations should be made at least 8 days ahead of the session as determinations are made 7 days in advance of the scheduled start time, primarily based on the number of participants registered at that time.
A processing fee of $15 will be added to 1-5 day onsite workshops and community wood firings.
Nonrefundable COVID-19 fees are charged to each participant per onsite workshop: $20/5-day workshop, $15/3-day workshop, and $10/1- & 2-day workshops. These fees help to offset the additional and increased expenses to Touchstone for cleaning, sanitizing, PPE, disposables, and other costs directly related to ensuring health and safety for all. This fee is nonrefundable.
To view a full listing of the Terms and Conditions as part of your enrollment, download the 2022 Participant Guide.