Help the art department bring jewelry making and metalsmithing skills to our constituents so we can better meet the needs of students, teachers and community members. With your help, students will be able to learn the necessary methods and techniques to create original jewelry and metal artworks, as well as methods of teaching these skills. The crafting of small metals is an important part of a well-rounded artist’s and art teacher’s repertoire, and it is also popular with aspiring artists in the community. Non-art majors have also requested these classes because metalsmithing is applicable to many other fields including medicine and dentistry; Washburn students pursuing higher education in these fields will benefit from learning these skills and applying them in their professional practice.
Your Day of Giving gift will fund the specific tools and supplies required to teach jewelry and metal art. Students will learn how to design and fabricate wearable jewelry and small-scale metal art objects. The basic techniques of metalsmithing – including cutting, filing, sanding, forming, etching, riveting, cold connections and wire work will be taught. This project is designed to meet the existing needs of art, art education, pre-dental and pre-medical students, as well as practicing art teachers in the region and interested community members. The art department does not currently offer jewelry or small art metals in the curriculum. Art teachers in the surrounding area have consistently expressed the need for jewelry and basic metalsmithing skills and have noted the lack of such offerings at Washburn University. This program will help fill that gap and set the stage for potential larger-scale metalsmithing in the future.
