The metalsmithing and jewelry design area at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design focuses on the development of technical skills in traditional and experimental metalworking and jewelry, as well as personal and creative direction. With one-on-one professional guidance, students refine their skills in formal design, craftsmanship, and creative concepts. Our graduates are prepared to teach at the university level or to practice as a professional artist, metalsmith, or jeweler.
Shape yourself into an artisan + artist
Choose from three dynamic degree paths
Bountiful tools and spaces for any creation
Metalsmithing and jewelry design students have access to a range of traditional materials and innovative technologies—from smithing stakes and hammers to 3-D modeling software.
Housed in the Fine Arts Building, metalsmithing and jewelry design facilities consist of two recently renovated undergraduate classrooms, a newly renovated graduate studio with individual Otto Frei workbenches and flexible shaft machines, a graduate tool room, a sound-proofed smithing room, and a chemical room.
B.F.A. + M.F.A. studios
The metalsmithing and jewelry design B.F.A. studio has four professional jeweler’s workbenches, along with a chemical enclosure with an annealing area under a ventilation hood.
The M.F.A. studio has six private cubicles that are equipped with professional jeweler’s workbenches with torches and individual ventilation snorkels. M.F.A.s have access to their own computer (with Adobe Suite and 3-D modeling software) and two printers, in addition to a digital camera and professional lighting setup. The graduate room also has a separate tool room with a large collection of stakes and hammers, a metal flat file with specialized tools, and a set of shelves with specialized hand tools.
Tools + equipment
Classrooms
- Two rows of long workbenches to seat 19 students
- Large demonstration/critique table and a common soldering area along one wall with stainless steel top accommodating four large rose bud torches and five acetylene torch tanks for soldering and annealing
- Kerr Injectomatic II wax injector/vulcanizer
- Burnout kilns (2)
- Vacuum machine and centrifuge for casting
- Lapidary equipment including a diamond saw and various grades of polishing wheels
- Fordomes (2)
- Dumore drill presses (2)
- Large stand-up drill press
- Non-ferrous buffing machine with various sizes, shapes and types of buffing wheels
- Ferrous buffing machine with various sizes, shapes and types of buffing wheels
- Wood and metal band saw
- Scroll saw
- Belt/disc sanding machines (2)
- Cavallin drawbench with assorted drawplates
- Rolling mill
- Boonie Doon hydraulic press
Teaching support equipment
- Chemistry lab ventilation hood
- Area for electroforming
- Industrial grade cabinets for corrosive and flammable chemical (2)
- Stainless steel workspace that has various equipment for mixing chemicals
- Portable exhaust system for spray paints
- Setups for tumbling with ceramic and stainless steel shot (2)
- Storage for expired chemicals and disposal
Hammer Room
- Work space measuring 13' x 18' with soundproofing in the floor and in the walls
- Large stumps (12)
- Vices and stake holders
- Dozens of sets of stakes and hammers
- Large capacity sandblaster
Melt + make
We nurture a quality of mind and system of values that will enable you to develop ideas that are worthy of expression. Experiment with a wide range of metals and materials to hone technical skills and discover innovative processes.
Visiting artists
Through the McKinney Visiting Artist Series and Metalsmithing Guild, the metalsmithing and jewelry design program hosts nationally and internationally recognized artists to meet with students, present their work, and give workshops and individual critiques.
Some of our past visiting artists include:
View upcoming visiting artistsAlumni making their mark
Shannon Carney
Shannon Carney is a contemporary jeweler who began her work in Italian fashion after studying at Indiana University. Since then, her jewelry has been featured in Vogue, Elle, and The Wall Street Journal. All of Carney’s jewelry is hand made from 18 karat gold, precious stones, and semi-precious stones.
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