The mission of the Industrial Arts Workshop (IAW) is to advance, inspire, and educate people of all ages through the creation of art. They do this by advancing new and original sculpture creation and artistic literacy; inspiring and supporting sculpture artists and their work; and sharing their work through collaboration, accessible education programs, projects, and outreach.

IAW teaches students the fundamentals of welding, design, engineering principles, and industry safety standards while building important skills in collaboration and teamwork, career readiness, responsibility, and equal parts community service and engagement. IAW’s target population is local high school students in Hazelwood, as they want to embed themselves in the neighborhood where they are located. However, they also want to draw participants from other communities in Allegheny County, so that their cohort reflects a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

IAW’s work offers unique contributions to the rebirth of a neighborhood, regional workforce development, and support of underrepresented and underserved youth, all through a creative and artistic lens of metal sculpture.