Groundworks’ metal classes teach forging, welding, and cutting techniques that range from ancient to modern. In a forging class you might make a spatula, a hook, or something entirely decorative. Welding classes focus on fusing metal with precision and control. All skill levels are welcome, and our instructors make the process approachable without watering it down.
Metal Adult Classes
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Session 5 Registration
All classes will be available for registration Monday, July 27 at 8:00am.
You can view specific class information and descriptions by following the class link in the drop down menus. You can also view the entire Session 5 class catalog.
Please review our standard refund policy before registering.
We offer scholarships!
You can apply and receive up to two scholarships annually for 50% off the cost of a class. Pay What You Can classes do not qualify (but you can save even more by signing up for one). Scholarship applications will close one week prior to registration opening.
Please fill out a scholarship application.
Special Summer Offerings
Why should kids have all the fun?
Our Adult Summer Camps are back and better than ever!
This year we’re offering camps just for the grown-ups featuring all five of our studio art forms. Spend a week deep-diving into pottery, or in one of our multi-studio crossover camps where you can learn a little bit about multiple art forms! All camps are five days (Monday-Friday) for three hours per day.
Keep scrolling for our Wood-specific camps, but be sure to check out all of our Adult Summer Camps here!
Exploring Through Spoons (All Studio Crossover Camp)
Big spoon or little spoon? You don't have to pick in our very first 5-studio crossover class: Exploring Through Spoons!
In this Adult Summer Camp, you'll get a lightning fast introduction to our Clay, Glass, Wood, Metal, and Print studios. Each week, the students will be in a different studio learning the material through the ancient practice of spoon (or spoon related object) making (seriously, spoons are, like, 3,000 years old)! The schedule will be as follows:
Day 1: Clay - Students will be in the clay studio making hand-built spoon crocks
Day 2: Glass - Students will be in the glass studio making fused spoon rest
Day 3: Wood - Students will be in wood studio learning how to carve a spoon
Day 4: Metal - Students will be in the metal studio learning how to forge a ladle
Day 5: Print - Students will be in the print studio learning linocut to make a one-of-a-kind spoon-related print culminating in a display of craftsmanship for the ages.
Monday-Friday 1:00-4:00pm
Dates: August 3 - August 7
Instructor: James Makely (Metal only). This class will be co-taught by an expert in each studio.
Location: Main (3750 Canfield St)
Cost: $310
Ages: 16+
Metalworking Classes
4-Week Sampler Classes
Looking to find your creative spark in our Metal Studio, but not sure what’s going to light your fire? Try a Studio Sampler! This class introduces students to the fundamentals of metal fabricating processes. Techniques explored will include welding, sheet metal work, use of an oxy-fuel torch, and blacksmithing. Don’t be intimidated, these classes are especially for beginners - and best of all, they’re Pay What You Can!
4-Week Level I Classes
Blacksmithing, welding, cold working - what’s in a name? A lot, actually! These are the three fundamental areas of focus in metalworking, and luck for you, we’ve got a whole slate of classes for you to choose from. These classes are perfect for beginners or more seasoned metalworkers alike!
Do you want to forge a path in blacksmithing? Our Level I Blacksmithing class will help you develop crucial skills around shop safety, fire management, tools and equipment, and appropriate use of the anvil, as well as an introduction to object-making.
Or maybe you’d rather explore the wide world of welding? Level I Welding will walk you through the essentials of safely and effectively working with a wire-feed (MIG) welder to join steel.
8-Week Level II Welding Sculptures
In this Level II welding sculptures class, students will explore the construction of geometric forms by combining various fabrication processes to assemble a complex steel sculpture.
The course guides students through the entire creative cycle, from initial design, layout, and joint-preparation techniques to final detailing. Participants will expand their cutting skills using a bandsaw, plasma cutter, and cutoff wheel, while studying how materials intersect in different structural configurations. By building upon foundational welding skills, students will learn to fit and weld multiple pieces together, finishing their multi-faceted forms with handheld grinders and sanding equipment to create smooth, clean surfaces. These versatile techniques can be used to fabricate steel sculptures and complex objects of any scale for both indoor and outdoor display.
This is a level II class and and welding experience is needed.