Mendocino Art Center Jewelry Studio

04/24/2026

Make a ring in a day using Argentium silver! Discover this luminous metal and its unique properties as you learn to fuse, texture, oxidize and shape it into your own design. Join me on May 23rd for this fun, hands-on workshop and leave with a one-of-a-kind Argentium silver ring. Registration is open—save your spot!

Create a silver ring using fused Argentium silver.

03/24/2026

Recycling/Reusing your Precious Metals with Nancy Gardner -
Date: April 11
Times: 9:30am - 4:30pm Saturday w/ 1 hour lunch break
Level: Some experience helpful
Membership Price: $229.50
With the price of precious metals these days, every little piece truly counts. Recycling and reusing your scrap is more important — and more empowering — than ever.

In this hands-on workshop, we will begin by exploring the alloying process: how it works and why it matters. Each alloy has its own unique characteristics, carefully formulated for specific purposes and uses. Understanding these differences gives you greater control over your materials and your designs.

Once we’ve covered the fundamentals, we’ll move into preparing your scrap and/or purchased metal for casting into ingots. From there, you’ll transform those ingots into sheet or wire stock in a range of shapes and gauges — creating exactly what you need for your work.

Not only can this process significantly reduce your material costs, it gives you independence in the studio. Imagine needing a 2” piece of 20-gauge round wire to complete a piece — and confidently making it yourself when all you have on hand is 8-gauge square. These are skills that expand both your resourcefulness and your creative possibilities.

Casting grains of fine silver will be available for purchase.
Optional $40 materials “kit” contains 2 crucibles, metal pouring handle, and carbon stick.

About the Instructor: NANCY GARDNER has been fabricating fine art jewelry in silver and gold for over 35 years. She received her BA in metal smithing from Buffalo State College during which she spent a year of independent study at SACI – Studio Arts Center International in Florence, Italy. In 1983 she attended AR•CO, the first independent art school in Lisbon, Portugal, where she finalized her degree and completed a Master Metal Smithing certification. For the two years 2 following graduation she was a metal arts instructor at AR•CO in Lisbon. During her years in Europe, Nancy learned old world techniques from master crafts people and fell in love with the art of metalsmithing.

In 2001 Nancy opened Mendocino Jewelry Studio, Main Street in Mendocino, where she continues to exhibit her original, hand fabricated jewelry along with 12 other prominent local jewelers. Since her arrival to the coast in 1985 Nancy has taught many Jewelry/Metals workshops at the Mendocino Art Center as well as other community colleges and art centers. In 2011 she became coordinator/studio manager of the art center’s Jewelry/Metals department creating a nationally recognized program with renowned instructors from across the country and beyond.

03/10/2026

Student work from last weekends From Sand to Silver: Intro to Sand Casting. A wonderful group of curious and creative students. We had a wonderful weekend and had many great successes!! Part 2 Sand Casting with Gemstines is coming up July 18 & 19. Add some bling to that thing! Mendocino Art Center

02/24/2026

Open Studio is on for tomorrow night! Nancy Gardner is hosting Tuesday nights guided open studio session 5 - 8 pm - $25.00 at our beautiful studio. Get feedback on projects, take your work to the next level and be in creative community!

02/05/2026

Our next upcoming workshop is a 3-week Intro to Jewelry class (meeting one day per week), where we’ll guide participants through creating a piece from start to finish, with an emphasis on symbolism and personal meaning. Students will receive instruction in fabrication techniques including design development, sawing, soldering, forming, texturing, finishing, and more.
This is a wonderful opportunity to spend intentional time in the studio, develop technical skills, and leave with a thoughtfully designed piece. With the combined experience of Hanna Katarina and Brienna Hall, students will be supported in incorporating symbolism into their work, creating jewelry imbued with intention and meaning.
Join us for three Saturdays: February 14, 21, and 28 | 11:30 AM – 5:30 PM

01/30/2026

01/21/2026

From Sand to Silver: Intro to Sand Casting workshop is coming up on March 7 & 8th. Join us at the studio for a weekend full of alchemy and creativity. This class will give you the foundations you need to start your Love affair with casting Jewelry. Beware though this process is addictive and tends to bring joy and excitement to creative of all levels of experience. This is also the prerequisite for the monthly sandcast Sundays studio sessions at the art center, and the sand casting with gemstones workshop! Save your seat!  register online at Mendocino Art Center

12/14/2025

Yesterday’s Etched Ornament workshop woth Amber Romero was a wonderful success! Students learned different ways to bring etching into their home studios and various ways of creating a resist before etching. A festive timenwad had by all We hope to host Amber again in the future so be on the lookout!

12/14/2025

Our Altar the Present show is up and absolutely gorgeous. We had another opening last night at Second Saturday following the original opening last Friday. This stunning show highlights our wonderful Artists in Residence as well as talented local jewelers and jewelers from afar. Be sure to come check out the show which is up till Feb 7th. ✨Please tag us if you have any more photos, I was so busy with the show that I did not get many pics!✨

11/28/2025

ALTAR THE PRESENT

Jewelry, adornment and object show at the Mendocino Art Center

🪄Opening reception Friday
December 5th 6 - 9 pm
Gallery at Mendocino Art Center

Please join us to celebrate adornment and sacred objects.

The Mendocino Art Center presents Altar The Present, a jewelry and wearable art show that explores the possibility of embodied altars, where jewelry acts as a tool for storytelling, through personal imagination and collective mythology.

Each artist invites the viewer into their fabulous wear, the body becomes an altar, a place of ritual, a reimagining of the temple. Wearable art has the potential to deepen our presence with the things that we make, heightening our senses within the inanimate, blurring the lines between self and object. When we truly slow down and embrace the present, it's not simply about a pause, but a commune and alchemization with everything around us.

Through the merging and wielding of earth, fire, water and air, Adorn The Present splays the ancient onto the table before us.

Featuring the work of Brienna Hall, Hanna-Katarina,
Our resident artists ✨
Sofia Gonzalez, Eden Tighe, as well as works of art from..

ultra
















And more artists.

🍷provided by

🔔🥁 Musical installation by Otto Nervous