Enroll in a Jewelry & Metal Arts program like no other at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, where the next generation of jewelry designers learn to create exquisite jewelry, fine metal objects, and prototypes for mass production in our state-of-the-art facilities. Through advanced jewelry and metal arts courses, students will sharpen their design concepts and craft one-of-a-kind pieces from premium materials using techniques ranging from traditional metal design to digital 3D printing and laser cutting technology.
The School of Jewelry & Metal Arts degree program provides a hands-on environment for students. Our well-equipped studios provide students with access to the latest in laser-cutting technology, 3D modeling and printing, enameling, casting, welding, forging, smithing, and mixed media tools and applications for their projects. Our goal is to prepare students to become premier jewelry designers for a competitive global market, providing comprehensive instruction in production, presentation, and market insight.
Discover the creative experience of a lifetime as you collaborate with other student artists from an array of different programs, including the School of Fashion, School of Photography, and School of Fine Art Sculpture. Our experienced professors will provide technical guidance and new sources of inspiration to help develop your vision for jewelry design and production at a world-class arts university in San Francisco.
Charlene Modena | Director, School of Jewelry & Metal Arts
Charlene Modena received her MA in sculpture from San Francisco State University with an emphasis in jewelry and metal arts, and an MFA in sculpture from Academy of Art University. She also studied with the S.F. Art Institute, Penland School in North Carolina, and Haystack School in Maine, and conducted additional research in England, Mexico, Italy, and Hawaii. She has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout the world, including the American Institute of Architects, the University of Guanajuato (Mexico), the Butler Institute of American Art, Elements Gallery, Velvet da Vinci, Ueno Royal Museum (Tokyo), and the Biennale Internationale de Limoges, in France.
Karen Chesna | Online Coordinator, School of Jewelry & Metal Arts
A native of Chicago, Karen Chesna earned her MFA in sculpture/metals from Academy of Art University and holds a BA in history of art and architecture, with a concentration in indigenous art, from the University of Illinois in Chicago. She spent many years working in the anthropology department at the Field Museum of Natural History and considers this immersion in humanity’s cultural past a major influence on her sculptural jewelry, artist books, and small metal-based mixed-media sculptures.
RECENT GRADUATES: If you recently received a degree–BA, BFA, MA, or MFA–from this university, everything you need to know to upload your graduate portfolio can be found at this link.
