Category: Past Demonstrations

For demonstrations that have happened in the past. For current and future demonstrations, use the category: upcoming-demos

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Reverse Intaglio and Custom Tool Making Video Available to Current Members

"Recorded Seminar; Watch now on MBMAG.org; Reverse Intaglio Carving + Custom Tool Making with Bob Rush; member resources; free 4 all members

All current guild members

may now watch the video online in the Member Resources section. Login to your guild account then navigate to the Member Resources page.

Bob Rush demonstrated reverse intaglio carving into stone, custom tool making and the use of those tools.

If you registered for the free online seminar, check your email for the presentation which includes the tools and supply list, and links to 4 of Bob Rush’s Bench Tip articles for Rock & Gem magazine. The email you received on March 17, 2024 includes the video link.

Thank you again to Bob Rush!!!

portrait of artist instructor Bob Rush wearing a blue shirt
Bob Rush contributes a monthly Bench Tips article to Rock & Gem Magazine.

Bob began practicing lapidary in 1958 and metal and jewelry in 1972. He teaches at clubs, has taught at Modesto Junior college, and teaches annually at Camp Paradise. Bob has been teaching metalsmithing and lapidary for over 20 years.
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Bruce McKay: Ways of Holding, MBMAG Monthly Speaker Series, April 27, 2018

Bruce McKay with torch and optivisors

April 27, 2018

MBMAG Monthly Speaker Series

Making jewelry requires holding onto things that are often funny shaped, too small, too hot, too delicate, and so on . Bruce’s talk is about ways to hold stuff while creating your jewelry. This includes holding items while soldering, creating assemblies of item to be held together while soldering such as clusters of heads, holding onto items while filing and sanding, holding irregular shaped metalwork while setting stones, and much more.

The tools and techniques will all be demonstrated at this talk for MBMAG at Creator Haven on April 27, 2018 from 7-9 pm. Light refreshments will be served.


Bruce McKay is a gold/platinumsmith, jewelry designer, lapidarist and graduate gemologist with 47 years experience who has recently moved to the Santa Cruz area from Portland, Oregon. There he had a custom design studio for 30 years and for the past 6 years has taught advanced jewelry techniques at the Multnomah Arts Center. Now a member of MBMAG, Bruce is past president of the Creative Metal Arts Guild of Oregon. 

Creator Haven is located at 41B Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

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Third Friday Speaker Series: Metal Clay Demo with Pat Evans

dragon fly brooch of fine silver with sapphires by Pat Evans

Friday, February 15, 2018 7 – 9pm

Free and open to the public

Have you been curious about metal clay? Do you think it’s just for hobbyists? Or have you never even heard of it? This product, a combination of recycled silver and organic binders, can be worked like clay and, when fired, is (depending on the variety) pure fine silver, sterling silver, copper, bronze or even steel. Pat Evans, Senior Art Clay Instructor, will demonstrate the basics of working with several varieties of metal clay, and explain how it can be a useful addition to your jewelry-making toolkit.

Join us at the Soquel Glenn Mobile Home Park Clubhouse

details of a speaker presentation by Pat Evans on silver metal clay
VenueSoquel Glen Mobil Home Park Clubhouse
Address5470 Soquel Drive
Soquel CA 95073, US
StartsFri Feb 16 2018, 7:00pm PST
EndsFri Feb 16 2018, 9:00pm PST
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Maker Faire 2014

Maker Faire is coming up soon! May 17 and 18, 2014 in San Mateo, two days of every kind of maker imaginable will be sharing, demonstrating, selling and in general celebrating the maker in all of us. From how to make homemade cheese to Rocket ships, makers will be there sharing their enthusiasm and joy of making with all who come. A really excellent family outing.

Once again MBMAG will be joining forces with the Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco to bring our joy of making copper into bracelets. Both days will have demonstrations and hands on free workshops for the public to enjoy making their own piece of wearable art. Last year there were personalized nametags to be made, enamel pendants, forged leaves and much, much more! MBMAG will be there on Sunday May 18th. Please click here to purchase tickets to come and join in on all the fun and make some memories as well.

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Make-a-Bracelet Workshop – MBMAG and SF MAG at Maker Faire 2013

MBMAG and SF MAG at Maker Faire 2013

MBMAG and Metal Arts Guild San Francisco are teaming up for Maker Faire, May 18 & 19, 2013 at the San Mateo County Events Center!  MBMAG will be doing our Make-a-Bracelet workshop and will need volunteers to help teach the public how to make a simple copper stamped bracelet.

MBMAG will be working with our fellow artists SFMAG at the Maker Faire doing a Make-a-Bracelet Workshop. Here’s the link to their page: MAG and MBMAG at Maker Faire – May 18-19. This will be our first joint project with our sister guild! This will also give us more connections with them so when we do a collaborative exhibition with them we will have people who have met each other and worked side by side.

If you think you would like to volunteer for a 4 hour time slot please contact me, Mary Luke.  I will have more specific information as the time draws nearer to the date. We will be setting up on Friday May 17, 2013.

This is a wonderful opportunity to work with our fellow metalsmiths from the north and east bay, expanding our community. Maker Faire has literally thousands of people come through on those two days.   So please let me know if you would like to participate.

Do come out to Maker Faire, whether you are available to volunteer or not.  As they say, “We are all MAKERS”.  The diversity of both Makers and what they make is astounding, there really is something for everyone.

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Experience Metal – August 18-19, 2012

SC Museum of Art and History

EXPERIENCE METAL
at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, August 18th and 19th, 2012

The Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild (MBMAG), in collaboration with the Cabrillo College Seahawk Metal Arts Club (SMAC) is participating in a two-day celebration of all things metal at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History on Saturday, August 18th and Sunday, August 19th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

For two days the patios and the classroom of the museum will be a flurry of activity as we present three workshops: Make-A-Bracelet, Crazy Metal Quilt and tufa casting, and two demonstrations: fold forming by Dawn Nakanishi and metal forging by Paul Chaney. Continue reading “Experience Metal – August 18-19, 2012”

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BEJEWELED Demos Needed

Saturday and Sunday
April 28th and 29th, 2007 from 12-5 pm

We need 2 more demonstrators to join Jack DaSilva, Angela Gleason, Dawn Nakanishi, Theresa Vu, Jose Santana, Laurie Tholen and Lynn Guenther.

If any guild members are interested they should call Lynn Guenther.

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Opportunity Knocks

MBMAG Booth
Santa Cruz Civic Center, May 20, 2017

MBMAG has an opportunity to work a booth in Santa Cruz at the Civic Auditorium on May 20th. It would be a great chance for public outreach… Maybe get a few new members?

We need volunteers to hang out for the day. We will set up a display of our work, it can be for sale…but only a sampling of what we do.

We can do some demos in the booth. Everyone will be responsible for there own supplies. If you have hand work that would be great. Let me know if anyone is interested. I have tables, covers and an EZ-UP.

I think it runs from 10:00 to 5:00. Contact Laurie Tholen for details.