Metal Casting & Leather Art Workshops

Art Classes in Providence, RI

Make Your Own Bronze Belt Buckle

In this workshop you will design, sculpt, and cast in bronze your own custom belt buckle. Then pair it with a hand cut leather belt which you will decorate with a variety of coloring and printing techniques. You will leave this class with an enduring unique piece of wearable art. Show who you are!

You will never find a single art class that intersects so many materials and processes!

Drawing
Clay Sculpting
3D Printing
Rubber Molds
Lost Wax Bronze Casting
Block Printing
Screen Printing
Posca Marker
Wax Sculpting
Leather Cutting, Beveling, and Punching
Painting

Tuition $460, all materials included!

Section 1 meets Tuesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 PM for a total of five sessions, including a Saturday afternoon pour at a nearby foundry location. Session dates are: August 5, 12, 19, 26 and September 9; (TENTATIVE – Saturday, September 6 pour).

Section 2 meets Wednesday evenings from 6:00-8:00 PM for a total of five sessions, including a Saturday afternoon pour at a nearby foundry location. Session dates are: August 6, 13, 20, 27 and September 10; (TENTATIVE – Saturday, September 6 pour).

Section 3 meets Thursday evenings from 6:00-8:00 PM for a total of five sessions, including a Saturday afternoon pour at a nearby foundry location. Session dates are: August 7, 14, 21, 28 and September 11; (TENTATIVE – Saturday, September 6 pour).

Chris Kane, founder/instructor, conducts a metal pour event, wearing protective gear and handling molten material with tongs.

Four leather straps labeled "HOT FUNK FOUNDRY WORKSHOP" in black and red text.

Two women in a metal art studio pour melted wax into a mold amid tools, trays, and a metal melting pot.

Founder and instructor Chris Kane at a metal pour event, wearing a "Hot Funk Foundry" jacket and protective gear.

Leather straps on a table, some labeled "Hot Funk Foundry Workshop," with colorful, patterned designs and a silver buckle.

Chris Kane and Chanel (Nel) McNamara of Hot Funk Foundry discuss during a metal pour event, wearing protective gear.

A person decorates a belt with the words "SAVED MY S" at a "Hot Funk Foundry" workshop. Various art supplies are on the table.

Instructor Chris Kane demonstrates bronze casting at the "Make Your Own Cast in Bronze Belt Buckle" workshop.

Meet the Instructors

Chris Kane graduated from RISD with a BFA in illustration 1992. Chris is trained in traditional figurative art techniques. He has 35 years of experience in sculpture and foundry arts. See kanesculpture.com to see his public sculpture work. He is also the visual art instructor at JMW Arts High School in Pawtucket, where he has been teaching for 20 years.

'Family of Travelers' cast bronze art by Chris Kane at T.F. Green Airport: boy waves, parents tote luggage, girl hugs stuffed pet as they walk.

Chanel (Nel) McNamara graduated from MassArt with a BFA in ceramics in 2021. Her work is inspired by exploring the relationship between patterns/textures, repetition, and storytelling. Nel is known for her intricate ink drawings and has been using this technique, along with silk screening, to bring her 2D work to leather belts for the last two years. Visit chanelmcnamara.com to see Nel’s portfolio.