MIG Welding for Artists

with Mark Schentzel

June 28, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Tuition: $200

Materials Fee: $20

Learn the basics of MIG welding in Ox-Bow's metals studio to use in creative projects including sculptural and wall based work of small or large scale. We will start with a safety and metals shop orientation and review MIG welding equipment and other tools and materials necessary for processing weldments. No previous experience in welding or metal working is needed. Demonstrations will emphasize making structurally sound welds and understanding different weldment positions and joints. This course is designed to provide you with a valuable new skillset to take to the studio or job force.

Plan to bring: Wear cotton long sleeves and pants, closed toed shoes or boots, and tie back long hair. Safety gear will be provided.

Mark Schentzel (he/ him) holds a BFA in Sculpture and Functional Art from Kendall College of Art and Design. He received the program’s Sculpture Excellence Award. Mark appreciates the craft school experience and has attended workshops at Ox Bow School for the Arts, Penland School of Craft, and Peters Valley Craft Education Center. He has over 25 years of welding and custom metal fabrication experience and is co-founder of EA-Craftworks in Grand Rapids, Michigan; a custom metal shop providing unique metal works in Michigan and surrounding areas. Mark has taught welding workshops for the past 10 years and is currently diversifying to explore additional instructional opportunities in the areas of sculpture, welding, and metal fabrication. Mark's large-scale public sculptures in Michigan and the Midwest carry notions of surrealism through process, material identity, sustainability considerations, and infrastructure issues.

Images courtesy of the artist.