Intro to Metals and Jewelry, a one-trimester art elective at CHS, is a unique take on creating wearable artworks using metal.

“In this class, students will learn different skills such as cutting metal, making jump rings, how to design a functional/wearable piece, polishing, and sanding,” Chelsea art teacher Claire Popovich said.

A typical day in metals and jewelry consists of an overview of the skills, agenda, and project that students will be working on that day. Popovich will then do any demonstration needed for that day and then students will move into work time for the rest of the hour.

“I really enjoy the structure of the class,” student Cecilia Henriksen (‘24) said. “We have a lot of choices within the projects we want to complete and the amount of time we work on them— as long as we get the job done.”

Students are able to take Intro to Metals and Jewelry with a prerequisite of Art 1 or Ceramics in order to ensure that they have the previous knowledge and skill set needed to take the class.

“A lot of things that students learn in Art 1 or Ceramics will cover the necessary skills to be successful in this class,” Popovich said. “It’s important that there is a basic understanding of the elements and principles of art and design as we utilize those concepts in this class when designing our jewelry pieces.”

Projects that are completed over the course of the trimester include resin pins, wood pendants, best friend interlocking necklaces, chain maille bracelets, ring projects, and much more. The ring project is a favorite for many of the students and the teacher.

“I really enjoy our ring project – it’s the first time we get to solder and use the torch on our metal, which is exciting for everyone,” Popovich said.

Popovich wants to make sure that students taking the class learn the fundamental skills of working with metals and have lots of fun.

“I really have two main goals for this class,” Popovich said. “First is to teach students the necessary skills to safely and effectively work with metal to create jewelry pieces. The second is to give students agency and choice in how they apply those skills to their artworks so that their work is personally relevant to them.”

Students should look to sign up for Intro to Metals and Jewelry for the 2022-2023 school year under the art section if they are interested in learning about the fundamentals of metals and jewelry design.

“I hope that by the end of the course students not only feel more confident when working with metal, but that they leave having pieces they can actually wear and be proud of,” Popovich said.