Turning Artistic Dreams into Practical Reality
For the past six weeks, local teens apprenticed with Craft Alliance artist William Burton during the St. Louis ArtWorks summer program. Working on the Ranken Technical College campus, the budding artists had access to an industrial metal fabrication shop, the expertise of Ranken faculty, and the leadership of William Burton. With these resources, the students collaboratively designed and fabricated a line of steel and wood furniture inspired by the maple leaf. Throughout the course of this program, the students expanded their artistic talents, while also gaining valuable job and communication skills. At the program’s culminating open house, ArtWorks apprentice Cartier Robinson explained, “We learned how to weld, plasma cut steel, and patina our designs.  We’re all really proud of our work, and now everybody is here buying it – we only have one piece left!”