-
Image
Hold Everything! Workholding Solutions for Makers
You have a firm grasp of the techniques and materials used in your craft, now if only you could hold onto that darn piece you’re working on! Whether you’re a metalsmith, jeweler, or maker in another medium, secure workholding is just as essential as technical skills. Without the tools and knowhow to properly stabilize your piece, even the best techniques can fall short.
In this demonstration-format class, you’ll be introduced to an extensive collection of tools and strategies—from simple homemade solutions to specialized professional equipment—that make forming, filing, soldering, stone setting, and finishing more efficient, accurate, and enjoyable. Best of all, many of these strategies increase accessibility at the bench, allowing people of all abilities to work more comfortably, even with conditions like tendonitis or limited grip strength.
This one-of-a-kind workshop will give you a toolkit of solutions to hold any- and every- thing, so you can focus on making your best work possible.
For more information about virtual courses, visit our Virtual Course FAQ page.
Meet the instructor
Kristin Mitsu Shiga (she/they) is a maker, educator and small business owner with more than 30 years of experience currently living and working in rural Oregon.
Throughout her career, Kristin’s desire to balance her individual studio practice and working as part of a larger team allowed her to build an unusual skill set that includes everything from nonprofit arts administration and bookkeeping to armature-building for stop-motion animation studios. From a long line of educators, Kristin is passionate about teaching and has shared her knowledge with students at venues all over the US including Penland, Arrowmont and Haystack Mountain schools of craft, along with programs she established in New York, Oregon and Hawai’i.
Kristin believes that service is a crucial component of any career and has served in a variety of volunteer roles and on numerous nonprofit boards since 2001. She currently serves on the boards of the Hawai'i Artist Collaboration and Frogwood Artist Collaboration, and is in her second term as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the American Craft Council (ACC).
Kristin has shown her work internationally, and is included in several notable collections, including the Kamm Artful Teapot Collection and the Permanent Collection of the White House. You will find her work published in numerous books and magazines, including Art Jewelry Today, The Art of Enameling, Metalsmith’s 2017 Exhibition in Print, and several of Lark’s 500 Series books. Learn more about Kristin’s past work on Oregon Artbeat (segment originally aired in 2010).
Materials & Tools
A extensive list of everything that will be demoed by the instructor can be viewed by clicking HERE. Students do not need to have or purchase any of these materials in preparations for class. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is strongly encouraged but not required.