DIY JEWELRY
Meltdown Studios brings “destination learning experience” to SF
A jewelry-making studio in Albuquerque that offers classes for beginners, as well as a permanent working space for the more experienced metalsmiths, is expanding to Santa Fe with the hope of creating a “destination learning space” for tourists.
Meltdown Studios, which opened in Albuquerque in 2006, began as a place where jewelers could take advantage of open studio hours and use equipment often too expensive for individuals to purchase. There was also an educational space for group or private courses. Several years ago, owner Lauren Tobey also began offering a program in which monthly renters could have their own designated studio space with 24-hour access and equipment.
Starting this week, Tobey will bring the same business model to Santa Fe, with a new twist on the classes. The jewelry-maker and teacher said several people who have used her Albuquerque space, particularly out-of-towners who want to learn traditional jewelry-making during Southwestern vacations, mentioned that they wished she offered the same thing in the City Different.
“We expanded because we first and foremost wanted to offer more of an intensive experience,” said Tobey, whose new studio is off Rufina Street.
Instead of classes spread out over the course of several weeks, like at the original studio, Tobey said Santa Fe will focus on weekend and weeklong intensives that cover one aspect of jewelry-making at a time.
There will be weekend lapidary, or stonecutting, courses that will by followed weeklong intensives that will cover certain techniques like casting and fabricating metal, and then another weekend intensive. She said they are placed back-to-back-to-back so visitors can take in all three if they choose.
“We’re trying to make it a destination learning experience,” said Tobey. “If people love to come to Santa Fe and they love to see the art scene, buy art and look at art, we’re trying to offer an experience as part of that vacation (where) they can learn a lot about making jewelry.”
The main area for group classes and open studio hours, which users pay for on a daily rate, features 10 benches. Each bench includes taller-than-average chairs to mitigate back and arm fatigue, a lamp and a rotary tool, and attachments for drilling, cleaning and finishing. The room also has a shared table for hammering and stamping, and equipment like buffers, belt sanders used for more “abrasive” metal grinding, and several soldering stations. A garage-like space in the back has full casting and lapidary equipment.
Meltdown Santa Fe also includes space for private and semi-private instruction, as well as a “Benchmate” program. As in Albuquerque, benchmates have their own separate room with partitions between their workspaces. Ten people, screened by Tobey and whose experience can range from professional to amateur, can come and go with 24/7 access to the building. She also plans to have a sponsored desk that she hopes to offer to a student at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
Unlike other co-working spaces where desks are shared, Tobey said the benchmates are given a work area that is exclusive to them and their work.
“It’s not always nice to have soldering in your kitchen or in your
garage when it’s freezing cold,” she said. “What Meltdown offers is your own studio away from home.”
Though she handles most of the classes in Albuquerque, she plans to have most classes in Santa Fe taught by outside instructors. For example, she is organizing a business and marketing course exclusive to Santa Fe in which Eugene Brill of Rio Grande Jewelry Supplies will teach an ongoing class about how to turn jewelry-making into a business.
Though her plans for the Santa Fe studio are designed around the intensive courses and business classes, she said she is open to offering programs similar to those in the Albuquerque studio, including “Make and Take” classes in which anyone can come in for an evening and leave with a finished product.
It’s often these newcomers that Tobey wants to attract, she said, adding she wants to share the art form with everyone.
“Sometimes it can be a little bit intimidating because it’s playing with fire, using all these crazy tools,” said Tobey. “But, really, we like to show people that, yeah, safety is a huge, No. 1 priority, but it’s also something you can learn and you can be amazed at what you can do in a really short time.”
Tonight’s free grand opening will include refreshments, instructor presentations and handson activities. Benchmates will have access to the studio after opening weekend. Classes and open hours will start in March.