The Future of Jewelry Design Is in Your Hands. We’re at Your Side.

Article By Rio for Schools

The Rio for Schools program invests in the next generation of designers, metalsmiths and makers by supporting today’s educators, mentors, apprentices and jewelry students. As part of the Rio for Schools program, instructors and students enjoy a variety of time- and money-saving benefits. Here are just two Rio for Schools member organizations that Rio Grande is proud to work with.

CREATIVE SIDE JEWELRY ACADEMY — AUSTIN, TX | CREATIVESIDE.ORG

There’s a “magnetic” energy inside Austin’s Creative Side Jewelry Academy, says founding owner/instructor Courtney Gray. As far as anyone can tell, that buzz is the creative alloy of roughly 1,500 students who dap, saw and solder at this jewelry education and open studio space each year.

Inside the school, there are tantalizing rows of well-stocked benches. Lining the walls are neatly arranged buffs, files and other equipment ripe for picking and getting to work. The labeled, wall-mounted tools look like trophies from a jewelry-making safari. Which is basically what folks are signing up for at Creative Side.

There’s something for every stage and skill level here—including a Young Metalsmiths summer camp, a couple’s wedding ring workshop, and a series of master classes geared toward professional jewelers. But as rigorous as the coursework is, it’s backed by an equally high level of support from the school’s instructors and staff. “Yes, it’s a professional studio where we’re teaching real skills,” Courtney says of Creative Side. “But the main thing is that it’s a nurturing space.”