WHAT?!

Industrial Arts Montana is a community workshop, fabrication studio, and creative learning space located at 801 Ronan Street in Missoula, Montana. Through hands-on instruction, participants gain access to professional tools, specialized equipment, and the knowledge needed to transform raw materials into functional objects, artwork, and practical solutions. Our programming is rooted in the belief that industrial processes are not only valuable trade skills, but powerful creative tools capable of building confidence, self-reliance, and community.

The core of Industrial Arts Montana is skills-based workshop education. Courses are designed for beginners and experienced makers alike, with an emphasis on learning by doing. Participants work directly with professional equipment while developing a deeper understanding of material behavior, design, problem solving, and fabrication techniques. Small class sizes allow for individualized instruction and meaningful mentorship.

CHECK BACK SOON FOR A CALENDAR OF UPCOMING WORKSHOPS!

Workshop offerings include:

Welding & Metal Fabrication

Students learn the fundamentals of MIG, TIG, Stick, and oxy-fuel processes while developing practical fabrication skills. Introductory courses focus on safety, machine setup, material preparation, cutting, joining, grinding, and finishing. Advanced offerings explore precision fabrication, aluminum welding, fixture design, and project-based construction. Participants leave with both completed projects and a foundation for future artistic or professional applications.

Blacksmithing & Forged Metalwork

From traditional forge work to contemporary sculptural approaches, blacksmithing classes introduce participants to the transformative properties of heated steel. Students learn forging techniques such as tapering, drawing, upsetting, punching, bending, riveting, and forge welding while creating functional objects including hooks, tools, hardware, and decorative pieces. Advanced workshops investigate ornamental ironwork, architectural details, and sculptural applications. Jesse Blumenthal's educational practice has included community blacksmithing programs throughout Montana, including the Tricycle Forge Blacksmith School and numerous public engagement projects.

Foundry & Cast Metal

Industrial Arts Montana builds upon years of community iron-pour and metal-casting programming developed by Jesse Blumenthal and regional collaborators. Participants learn mold making, pattern development, furnace operation, metal pouring, finishing, and safety procedures while gaining firsthand experience with one of humanity's oldest industrial processes. Public casting events and collaborative projects create opportunities for participants to contribute to large-scale community artworks and shared experiences.

Bicycle Fabrication & Framebuilding

Few objects combine engineering, craft, and culture as elegantly as the bicycle. Workshops explore bicycle mechanics, frame geometry, brazing, welding, alignment, repair, and custom fabrication. Participants may learn everything from routine maintenance and wheel truing to the design and construction of custom bicycle frames and cargo bikes. Courses emphasize bicycles as both practical transportation and sculptural objects worthy of thoughtful design.

Industrial Sculpture & Creative Fabrication

Designed for artists, makers, and curious beginners, these courses focus on transforming industrial materials into contemporary artwork. Students investigate welding, fabrication, found objects, kinetic mechanisms, lighting, sound, and mixed-media construction while developing personal creative projects. Drawing from Jesse Blumenthal's interdisciplinary artistic practice, workshops encourage experimentation across traditional boundaries between art, design, and industry.

Digital Fabrication & Contemporary Making

Industrial Arts Montana embraces both traditional craft knowledge and contemporary technologies. Future programming may include CNC plasma cutting, digital design workflows, projection mapping, creative electronics, fabrication software, and emerging technologies that support artistic and entrepreneurial practice. These offerings reflect a commitment to connecting historical craft traditions with modern tools and methods.

Community Projects, Open Shop & Special Events

In addition to structured classes, Industrial Arts Montana will host demonstrations, artist talks, collaborative builds, iron pours, visiting instructors, youth programs, open-shop opportunities, and community fabrication events. The goal is to create a place where learning continues beyond a single workshop and where participants can develop long-term relationships with both tools and fellow makers.

Industrial Arts Montana exists to preserve industrial craft knowledge while expanding who has access to it. Whether someone arrives to build a bicycle, learn to weld, forge steel, cast iron, create sculpture, or simply explore a new creative outlet, the shop is designed to provide a safe, welcoming environment where curiosity and craftsmanship can thrive.

Additional Studio Practices

Architectural Steel Fabrication & Blacksmithing

Outside of educational programming, director Jesse Blumenthal provides custom architectural metalwork for residential and commercial clients. Projects include hand-forged railings, gates, fireplace surrounds, hardware, sculptural details, furniture, and custom steel features that combine traditional blacksmithing techniques with contemporary fabrication methods. This work draws upon more than a decade of professional experience in ornamental and architectural metalworking.

Small Axe Art Cycles

Operating under the name Small Axe Art Cycles, Jesse offers bicycle repair, modification, restoration, custom fabrication, and one-of-a-kind bicycle projects. Services range from routine maintenance and frame repair to highly customized bicycles that blur the line between transportation, sculpture, and functional design. The practice reflects a long-standing interest in bicycle culture, fabrication, sustainability, and creative mobility.

Studio Art & Immersive Media

Jesse Blumenthal is an internationally exhibited artist whose work combines sculpture, sound, video, projection, and community engagement. Museum exhibitions, public installations, and collaborative events investigate relationships between technology, industry, ecology, and contemporary culture. Recent projects have included large-scale sculptural installations, sonic environments, projection-based artworks, and temporary public interventions that activate both indoor and outdoor spaces. This work can be explored through jesseblumenthal.com and @unk.visuals.