Sculpture
Code: S1112-25
-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Sculpture in Motion: Motors and Kinetic Forms
Aug 11 - 15, 2025
9AM-5PM
Concept
This hands-on workshop invites students to explore the possibilities of kinetic sculpture by experimenting with motion and understanding the techniques necessary to make sculptures move. This workshop aims to simplify and demystify the process, breaking down the different types of motors and their potential applications. Participants engage in guided experiments and creative problem-solving, working with timers and controllers that don’t require coding knowledge. Students gain foundational knowledge of motor types, control systems, and kinetic mechanisms and have time to apply this learning to create their own projects.
Media & Techniques
Mixed media, motors, electronics, robotics, PLA, wood, metal, hand tools, 3D printers, bandsaws, sanders, sculpting, assembly, digital fabrication
Faculty
Ivana Dama
Ivana Dama is an artist and researcher holding an MFA in Sculpture from Yale University. She previously graduated from UCLA’s School of Arts and Architecture with a degree in Media Arts and Digital Humanities. Her multidisciplinary work spans audio-video installations, robotics, web projects, and music performances, with a focus on the nonverbal expression of traumatic experiences through sound studies and sonic memories. Ivana’s practice explores the relationship between sound and vibrations at various scales, from the microscopic to the architectural and satellite. Her work has been featured in over 30 group shows, and she has had solo exhibitions in Portland and Los Angeles. In addition to her artistic practice, she recently joined Columbia University’s MFA program in Visual Art as a professor, where she teaches a class titled Critical Issues in Sound.
Ivana Dama, Audible Silence, 2023, Installation
Tuition: $1,290.00
Studio Fee: $190.00
Registration Fee: $45.00
NEW: Tuition includes the welcome dinner and daily lunch
Registration Information
Sculpture
Express your creativity and vision by exploring the limitless art of sculpture. At Anderson Ranch, our sculpture program offers a vibrant spectrum of workshops that reflect a variety of studio practices. At the confluence of tradition and technology, these programs are material and technique-rich, ranging from classical metal fabrication to experimental digital production.
Students work in communal and interactive studios designed for all levels of experience, supporting traditional and nontraditional methods. The sculpture studios are fully equipped with advanced machinery and offer additional outdoor covered workspace.
Our renowned sculpture faculty work closely with students through critical discussions, material demonstrations and individual assistance. Instructors encourage exploration and experimentation, emphasizing process and idea development. We complement this with a focus on process and sound construction. You leave with far more than finished pieces—you walk away with the tools and inspiration required to elevate your studio practice.
Workshop Details
Workshop Supplies
Provided by Anderson Ranch
Equipment
- Bandsaw
- Bench sanders for wood and metal
- Drill press
- Hand tools: wrenches, hack saws, pliers, chisels, snips, clamps, etc.
- Laser cutter
- MIG welder
- Miter saw
- Table saw
Supplies
- AC DC Relay
- DC Motors
- Interval Timer
- Metal
- N95 Respirators
- Nitrile gloves**
- Shared AC Motor
- Variable Speed Controller
- Wood
What you need to bring
Required Tools and Supplies
- Closed-toe shoes or work boots
Optional Tools and Supplies
- A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen**
- A reusable water bottle**
- Any materials that you may want for your projects
- Any Materials that you may want to use to pack up your projects to take home, ie: moving blankets, packing tape, bubble wrap or boxes.
- Basic white or light colored T-shirts for screen printing**
- Safety glasses**
- Sketchbook**
- Tools that you own that you will be unhappy without.
- Work gloves**
* Available for purchase in the studio.
** Available to purchase at the Anderson Ranch ArtWorks Store for 10% off.
Learn more about shipping supplies and artwork to and from the Ranch in the Student Handbook.
Lodging & Meals
Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations.
NEW: Tuition includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of the tuition for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.
We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.
Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts
Making Art Accessible
Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.
Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.
You Might Also Be Interested In
-
I
Level I
Students are new to sculpture and have no formal training.
-
II
Level II
Students have a basic knowledge of 3-D art making and sculpture concepts and are comfortable using a variety of hand and power tools. Students have taken one or two sculpture classes or workshops.
Jun 2 - 6, 2025
9AM-5PM
The Brutal and the Delicate: Steel Combined with Soft Materials
Carl Reed
Tuition $1,290
Code S0102-25
Throughout art history, steel has been associated with industry, violence, and strength. This workshop challenges such connections by investigating ways steel can become visually delicate, and by inventing new meanings and visual relationships through combining steel with materials with opposite characteristics. Exercises address technical and creative inquiries regarding how steel is cut, shaped, and physically joined, and how to challenge material assumptions if steel becomes a secondary, rather than primary, compositional element. We explore the aesthetic and technical consequences of combining steel with soft, vulnerable, contradictory, and unexpected materials.
-
II
Level II
Students have a basic knowledge of 3-D art making and sculpture concepts and are comfortable using a variety of hand and power tools. Students have taken one or two sculpture classes or workshops.
-
III
Level III
Students have experience with a variety of materials and fabrication techniques and know how to use hand and power tools competently and safely. Students are self-starting with some formal training in critical aspects of sculpture and have completed a portfolio of work. Students have taken a minimum of three classes or workshops.
-
IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skills and knowledge of sculpture. Students are highly motivated, have a minimum of five years experience in the field and have multiple portfolios of their artwork. Typical students are academics and professional artists.
Jun 2 - 13, 2025
9AM-5PM
Building With Clay and Steel
Trey Hill
Tuition $2,010
Code S0101-25
Investigate new materials and approaches to building sculpture in this two-week exploratory workshop. Students discover innovative ways to combine different materials, creating dynamic mixed-media sculptures. This workshop experiments with adding different materials to students’ work—such as clay, steel, and found objects—while considering how each adds formal information and intensified content. This rigorous studio environment gives access to a variety of new materials and fresh ways of approaching students’ studio practice. The workshop is open to students working in any media who are looking to try something different and add new skills to their toolbox.
-
II
Level II
Students have a basic knowledge of 3-D art making and sculpture concepts and are comfortable using a variety of hand and power tools. Students have taken one or two sculpture classes or workshops.
-
III
Level III
Students have experience with a variety of materials and fabrication techniques and know how to use hand and power tools competently and safely. Students are self-starting with some formal training in critical aspects of sculpture and have completed a portfolio of work. Students have taken a minimum of three classes or workshops.
Jun 16 - 20, 2025
9AM-5PM
Material Mimicry: The Question of the Reproduced Form
Aaron T Stephan, Betsy Alwin
Tuition $1,290
Code S0303-25
Enhance mold-making knowledge and skills in this fast-paced casting workshop. We focus on the physical and conceptual implications of casting multiples, sharing and discussing strategies many artists use to shape space and create meaning with the cast form. Students refine their skills, learning how to cast a variety of materials- including silicone, plaster, and foam. Along with demonstrations of different mold-making techniques, students learn best studio practices for economical and efficient casting processes. Participants leave with new skills and a broader understanding of the role of the cast form in contemporary art.