Lee.org

If you are interested in any of these upcoming (awesome) classes, give me a buzz, or just sign up!

Spring Kinetics classes are starting up at the Crucible in Oakland, starting April 9th. Most classes are 1 night a week 6-9pm for 5 weeks. One class is on Saturdays. Space is limited and classes are starting in just 2 weeks! If you’re into it, sign up this week.

* Introduction to Mechanical Sculpture
* Electromechanics for Everything
* Arduino Microcontrollers: Building Smart Art
* Flame Effect for Art
* Electronics for Artists

Read full class descriptions
See class schedules

Each teacher is an expert in their field. I’ll let the teachers tell you about their classes:

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Introduction to Mechanical Sculpture
taught by Ben Cowden (http://benjamincowden.com)

Next month a new group of students will be introduced to the wonderful world of mechanical sculpture. I hope you will join us as we learn about gears, cams, levers, and worm drives. If you want to integrate movement into your artwork, or just want to build some crazy contraptions, this is a great way to get started. There is no experience required, but feel free to bring project ideas and sketches for group problem-solving and brainstorm. Classes are Mondays 6-9pm starting April 11th. Check out the description here and sign up! (https://store.thecrucible.org/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=415_442_542)

Sincerely,
Ben Cowden

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Electromechanics for Everything
taught by Rich Humphrey, obselete and discarded technology expert

This class gives you the ability to make things move, controlling art using non-computer means. Mechanically or electrically, with cams and gears or motors and relays.
This class is perfect if you have an interesting problem to solve, want to know how modern machines work, you have art to make, or a contraption that needs to see the light of day.

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Arduino Microcontrollers: Building Smart Art
taught by Rich Humphrey (http://richhumphrey.net)

Learn how to interface between the software and physical world, have your machine be able to react to inputs from the real world. Make your art smart! If you have art or a gizmo that needs to come alive, start here.

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Flame Effect for Art
taught by Lee Sonko and Liam McNamara

Possibly the best part of this class is that you get to bring home your final project. Yes, you bring home a flame thrower*. Maybe it’s giant, maybe it’s tiny. Both are awesome. Learning how to work with flame effects safely will open up so many possibilities for art and exploration.

* Not technically a “flame thrower” by the rules and laws, but we’ll cover that.

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Electronics for Artists
taught by Steve Widmark (http://www.paleoneon.com)

My name is Steve Widmark and I teach a class at The Crucible in Oakland called “Electronics for Artists.” If you’ve ever wanted to know how to design and build electronic circuits to make a gadget or a piece of interactive art, then this is the class for you. You’ll learn electronics by making a small project (a cyber pet or a small kinetic sculpture) that uses a PICAXE microcontroller as its “brain.” Along the way you’ll be taught basic electronic theory, schematic reading, use of solderless breadboards for prototyping, circuit board fabrication and microcontroller programming. This is a beginning course designed for students with little or no experience with electronics. Class starts Saturday, April 9th. For more details, visit www.thecrucible.org