Southwest Studio Sessions: Ingot & Sand Casting with Curtis Pete

This past weekend at Meltdown Studio, we had the honor of continuing our Southwest Studio Sessions series with an immersive masterclass led by silversmith Curtis Pete. These workshops are designed to slow things down, to create space for deeper learning, and to spend meaningful time at the bench with artists whose work is shaped by experience, tradition, and a strong connection to material.

From the very beginning, it was clear this was not a “quick win” kind of class.

Working with heavy sterling silver, melting down raw material, and moving through both ingot pouring and sand casting requires patience, attention, and a willingness to try, adjust, and try again. These are processes that don’t always go exactly as planned—and that’s part of what makes them so valuable to learn.

Students began by transforming reclaimed silver into something entirely new. Watching solid metal melt and flow, then become a hand-poured ingot, is always a powerful moment. From there, the work became more physical—forming, forging, and refining each ring shank, building both structure and character into the metal.

Stamping brought another layer of challenge and expression. Curtis’ work is known for its strength and precision, and learning to approach that level of control takes time. There were moments of hesitation, moments of correction, and ultimately, moments of real progress.

The sand casting portion of the class opened up a different kind of exploration. Students selected from a collection of Curtis’ original designs and translated them into cast elements, each one slightly different, each one requiring its own adjustments and problem-solving. It’s a process that demands flexibility and trust in the material.

And throughout it all, Curtis taught with clarity, patience, and a deep respect for the work. What stood out most wasn’t just the techniques themselves, but the understanding behind them—how metal moves, how to read it, how to work with it rather than against it.

These are not easy skills to master. They take repetition, time, and experience. And it’s exactly that level of commitment that makes artists like Curtis Pete so extraordinary.

By the end of the weekend, each student left with a finished ring—substantial, personal, and entirely their own. But more importantly, they left with a deeper understanding of process, material, and what it truly means to build something from the ground up.

Work like this stays with you.

We’re grateful to Curtis for sharing his time, his knowledge, and his approach, and to everyone who joined us at the bench for a weekend of focused, meaningful making.