Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have the power to make your glassware? Or maybe a sword? What about a chair that looks like it belongs in an old fairytale?
If so, you are in luck! Now, you can learn how to mold iron or glass into all these things and more by enrolling in Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center (CAFAC) courses like the Blacksmithing class in Minneapolis.
They teach you to make fire.
What is Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center?
No, seriously—CAFAC is a non-profit arts organization that fills a unique niche in the Twin Cities. They focus on art forms produced using heat, spark, or flame: blacksmithing, glassworking, jewelry making, metal casting, neon bending, sculptural welding, and more.
But they do not just teach you to make fire. They also teach you how to create with fire. They teach you how to use it to express your creativity and build community. The pillars of their programming are arts education, artist support, and public art, which provide a platform for social impact and community-driven resources.
Also, they offer courses every quarter and run year-round. Most evening courses are geared toward adult learners, though they offer summer camps for youth as well that provide the same opportunities to learn exciting new skills and make new friends.
Top 5 Courses You Can Take
Jewelry Making
CAFAC offers a range of jewelry-making classes that provide the building blocks of essential skills needed to create jewelry pieces by hand. Students here will learn fundamental fabrication skills for working with wire, sheets, and stones to create various pieces. We offer classes in jewelry casting techniques, precious metal clay, wire wrapping, and other special topics.
Starting in 2022, they also offered an open studio time for jewelry-making. In the studios, you will be able to explore more complex techniques as you progress through different levels of skill-building to make your one-of-a-kind jewelry designs.
You can take a class on its own or use it as a starting point for more advanced studies!
Glassmaking
Their glass program focuses on lampworking (also known as flameworking), using soft glass and an oxy-fuel torch to create beads and other small pieces. We also offer open studio time for flameworking.
If you are interested in learning about glass sculpture, they have a few different classes to get you started.
Their introductory class is a great place to start! CAFAC’s experienced teaching assistants will guide you through the process of creating a basic pendant bead and show you how to manipulate the flame to create simple designs. If you want to learn more advanced techniques, take their intermediate or advanced classes! These classes are built on each other, so be sure to take them in order if you are new.
Welding and Metal Fabrication
If you have ever looked at a welded sculpture or antique metal piece and wondered how it was made, this is your chance to learn. In this course, they will teach you the fundamentals of welding and metal fabrication. You can take your ideas from concept to creation. The course covers torch cutting, brazing, and metal coloration techniques—all skills needed for sculptural and functional projects.
Welding is a great skill to have if you want to create your sculptures or restore vintage pieces. It is also useful if your job involves working with heavy machinery or equipment. You will be able to create strong permanent bonds between metals by the end of this course!
Metal Casting
In this course, they teach you the fundamentals of creating cast metal sculptures through mold-making, pouring metal, and finishing techniques. Not only will you learn the basics, but you will also get hands-on practice with new materials like wax and plaster molds.
At the end of this course, you will be able to go forth into your backyard or studio with your newfound knowledge and create something uniquely yours—and badass!
Blacksmithing
The art of blacksmithing has been practiced for thousands of years to manipulate metal into objects from horseshoes to swords to furniture. Blacksmiths heat iron in a forge and use tools such as a hammer and anvil to shape it to the desired form. The blacksmithing class in Minneapolis ignites your passion for blacksmithing and introduces you to the seemingly endless ways of expressing yourself by shaping iron with fire and hammer. You will learn how to identify different types of tool steel and how they behave when forged, how to create a billet from scrap metal, the basics of blacksmithing, and more.
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The Experience
I took the blacksmith class, the beginner class where you make a bottle opener. It was a last-minute cancellation that got me in the door. The class size is small so they do not have a lot of openings. Most of the people in my class booked 9+ months out.
When I arrived at the Chicago Fire Arts Center, it was pretty close to what I expected. There is a small gallery in the front. The back was like almost every other fab shop, I have ever been to. There is something about working with metal that coats every surface possible with black dust. It is nearly impossible to clean the area. However, with regular cleanup, it is possible to reduce the dirt. At CAFAC, I think they did a great job, considering how many people are in and out. Everyone seems to care enough to pick up and clean after themselves.
This class was great for anyone. We had a 12-year-old in our class and another person who needed a helper because they were somewhat immobile. The instructor was accommodating to the people that had more issues. If you have never swung a hammer, I bet that they would not have any issue showing you how.
The class went well as the day flew by. We talked about forge safety and some common issues to watch out for. The class progressed in phases. It was nice that there was not a lot of waiting. If a person or two got done with one step the instructor would gather a couple together and show the next step. I appreciated this because I am often the person that has to wait.
I will not get into too much detail as I do not want to spoil the class. Nevertheless, I recommend this class to anyone who wants to try a blacksmithing class in Minneapolis. There is a pretty low overhead. Furthermore, there are no prerequisite skills needed to make a pretty helpful little tool.
