IYRS School of Technology and Trades kicks off Summer Series

by Melissa Flaherty on 14 Jun 2014 IYRS School of Technology and Trades kicked off their 2014 Summer Series, Mastering the Craft with approximately 20 guests at Clear Carbon and Components in Bristol, RI on June 6th. The second annual series returned with a focus on Making with Modern Materials.

According to IYRS President Terry Nathan, 'We see modern materials informing design thinking in a broad range of our economy, including wind energy, medical technologies, aerospace, automotive, boats, and now increasingly both residential and commercial construction. Some of this work is extraordinarily technical and very much craft-oriented' The series provides a unique perspective on the modern face of craftsmanship by engaging master makers, builders, and companies in the local area who work with composite materials.

The next special access opportunities will be a tour of Hall Composites, also in Bristol, RI, with Ben Hall and Pete Levesque at 3:30 PM on Friday, June 20. The series continues through July and August:

July 18: IYRS School of Composites Technology (Bristol, RI) with Henry Eliot and Dirk Kramer
August 1: TPI Composites (Warren, RI) with Steve Nolet

All are welcome to the capstone event on Friday, August 15th: an engaging roundtable discussion for the larger public audience. The series participants will be joined by special guest Ping Fu, 3D printing entrepreneur, for a conversation moderated by Richard Saul Wurman – American architect and graphic designer who has written over 80 books. Event sponsor Vintry Fine Wines, one of New York’s most exclusive wine merchants will conduct a wine tasting and offer light fare following the discussion. Tickets for the roundtable, which cost $25 each, can be purchased in advance.

For more information or to reserve your tour ticket, please contact Loriana De Crescenzo, Director of Philanthropy, at ldecrescenzo@iyrs.edu or 401-848-5777 x204.

There is a renewed and growing discussion in America about the importance of craftsmanship in both our culture and economy. As a school whose mission is to teach craft—irrespective of the material—and celebrate its place in our history, IYRS is uniquely qualified to be part of this dialogue. As part of our broadening involvement in the conversation, IYRS initiated the Mastering the Craft series in 2013 with visits to the local studios of six masters, including a stone carver, sculptor, jeweler, photographer, woodworker, and bow-maker. The summer series concluded with an extraordinary roundtable discussion of these artists and craftspeople, moderated by Mr. Wurman last summer. Video of that event can be found on the IYRS YouTube channel.