metalworking at museumlab

Every year we have an annual showcase of youth metal-based art in MuseumLab to feature artwork by artists in grades K-12 that use metal as a material or process of creating the art.

A jury of artists and metalworkers review all submissions anonymously. Artists whose work is shown receive a “swag bag” of metalworking tools or materials for participating.

Currently accepting applications for the Youth Metal Arts Show 2025!

Applications accepted through January 25

Learn more and apply here.

At our MuseumLab week-long summer camps, join peers and professional artists to work with metals to create durable, beautiful creations. Activities may include stamping, embossing, enameling and soldering for jewelry making, sculpture, electronics, repair and more.

Details on Summer 2025 camps will be available in February 2025.  

Attention educators! We created these videos featuring materials and tools that are easy to access and simple to set up after facilitating metalworking activities with thousands of kids in MuseumLab’s Metal Studio.

If you’ve always wanted to try using metal in your classroom or makerspace, these activities are a great place to start.

Let’s Try Embossing
A step-by-step tutorial on how to emboss or press words or designs onto soft metal such aluminum foil.

Let’s Try Pewter Casting 
A step-by-step tutorial on how to make a pewter metal cast of a common object, such as a domino, in sand. Please note: Pewter casting involves melting pewter at a very high temperature; adult supervision and safety equipment are required.

Let’s Try Aluminum Can Sculpture
A step-by-step tutorial on how to make a sculpture from repurposed aluminum cans that are attached using rivets and brads.

Videos created with generous support from Arconic Foundation.

The FUSION program at MuseumLab is made possible by the generous support of: