The Crucible

Description

No, it's not an Arthur Miller fan club.  The Crucible is a non-profit arts education center.  Be warned (or encouraged):  you'll get your hands dirty, and you'll learn to make stuff.  This is not the sad, scrawny, pathetic waif that probably passed for art class in your public school.  This is more like the Samuel L. Jackson approach to art:  enthusiastic, gung-ho, borderline insane, with a lot of fire and sharp objects.  If you want to blow glass, cast molten bronze, pimp your ride, refurbish a railroad caboose - I swear I'm not making this up - carve stone, build kinetic sculptures, beat hot iron into interesting and useful shapes, walk on stilts, eat fire, build furniture, make a ukulele or learn how to fire dance - no, really! - they have classes in it.

A note of caution, however.  The Crucible is located in a former warehouse in a part of Oakland where rents are cheap.  Which is to say, it's not a very good neighborhood.  The school recommends you don't walk around alone after dark, that you pay attention to your surroundings, lock your car door, not yak on your cell phone while walking down the street and ignoring everything around you, etc.  On the other hand, you're not walking into a Mad Max movie or something, just keep an eye out.

The Crucible holds/participates in a number of special events each year.  See the calendar for details.

Fire Arts Festival:  July 15-18, 2009

That's not a typo for "Fine Arts".  It's art with fire.  Fire sculpture, interactive fire art, and performance.  If you're lucky, you may get a chance to set off a propane flamethrower.

Fall Community Open House:  TBD, probably early September

The studio opens up so people can walk around and say "ooh, I gotta make me one of those!"

Main Web Site

http://www.thecrucible.org/

http://thecrucible.org/component/docman/cat_view/111-catalogs-a-schedules - Course schedules, and a catalog with course descriptions.

Location

1260 7th Street, Oakland, CA

Drive Time

from Ames

(per Google maps): 48 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes, depending on traffic

Public Transit

VTA 51 bus from Moffett Field to Moffett Blvd & Jackson St.  (Note:  this line does not run during many class hours.)

About 2 blocks south on foot.

Caltrain from the Mountain View stop north to the Milbrae stop.

About 50 feet on foot.

BART Red Line from the Milbrae stop to the West Oakland stop.

About two blocks east to The Crucible

Estimated travel time is about 90 minutes, total.

Round trip cost is $21.80:  $3.50 for two trips on the VTA 51 bus; $8 for a two-zone Caltrain day pass; $8.30 for two trips on the BART red line. 

Hours

The studio space is open whenever there are classes.  As a default, this is Mon - Thurs 2 PM to 10 PM, and Fri - Sat 10 AM to 6 PM (closed most Fridays).  Business hours do not appear to be listed on the web site, but are probably 9 to 5-ish.

Cost

If it involves fire or power tools, expect to pay between $300 and $500 for a 10-week, 3-hour class (or the equivalent in weekend intensives).  On the other hand, a beginning hula hoop course might run you $130, and a one-night copyright law seminar for artists is $25, so check the current schedule for the subject you're interested in.  Members get a discount of around 7.5%, and a basic membership costs $75.  The school also offers discounts in exchange for volunteer work.