Meet the instructors
These are the people who make Ninety Twenty Workshop a special place to learn jewelry making and metalsmithing
Tayja Danger
Tayja Danger (she/her) is the metalsmith behind Stone Anvil Jewelry. She teaches metalsmithing classes to all levels of learners and is a founding member of the Portland-based New New Collective.
In her fine art practice, Tayja endeavors to advance Queer and Feminist movements by creating contemporary jewelry that speaks about social issues and popular culture. Her artwork emphasizes formal elements and high quality craftsmanship as she honors traditional metalsmithing processes, art jewelry and contemporary craft. As a production artist, Tayja uses her metalsmith skills to create elegant and playful jewelry. She fabricates limited run editions with her hammer and torch, and lost wax casting in bronze and sterling silver. https://stoneanviljewelry.com/
Colin Kippen
Colin Kippen (he/him) was born in San Francisco and grew up in rural Vermont. Along with a nine-year apprenticeship to a jeweler, he holds an MFA in Craft (2015) and a Post-Bacc Certificate in Metals (2006) from Oregon College of Art and Craft along with a BA in Studio Art (2004) from Carleton College. His sculptural practice loosely references domesticity, waste streams, gender roles and masculinity. Colin held artist residencies with the Metro/Recology GLEAN program and the Bullseye Glass Factory. Colin is an adjunct professor of sculpture, design and drawing at Portland Community College and Clark College in Vancouver, WA. He lives and works in Portland, OR. https://www.colinpkippen.com/
Arielle Brackett
Arielle Brackett (she/her) is a metalsmith and educator. She received her BFA in metals at the Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2017. She has shown nationally and internationally, including Canada, Romania and Russia. Brackett was awarded best in Metals at the Colorado Gallery of the Arts and the Art Center of Estes Park and Juror’s Choice Award in Jewelry from CraftForms 2021. She received two scholarships to paint in Le Barroux, France and Grand Junction, Colorado. Brackett is published in Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), Jams 2018 and How Art Heals, by Andra Stanton. In 2019, she had a piece in a runway show, Shift in Portland, Oregon. Brackett showed work in SNAG’s Exhibition in Motion in 2019 and 2021. https://www.ariellebrackett.com/
Christine Clark
Christine Clark (she/her) is co-owner of Ninety Twenty Studios and is the administrator for Ninety Twenty Workshop. Her studio practice as an artist includes sculpture, installation, and public art in steel. She is a long time educator and taught metalsmithing, jewelry, sculpture and installation art at Oregon College of Art and Craft for over 35 years and was the Head of the Metals Department. She teaches online and in person workshops at venues such as Yucca Valley Material Lab, Penland School of Crafts, Appalachian Center, Pocosin Arts, and Metalwerx. Her public art can be seen in various locations in Oregon and Washington states. She is a member of Nine Gallery, an alternative exhibition space in Portland, OR. https://www.cclarkstudio.com/
Winona Hwang
Growing up in America and Singapore has shaped Winona’s (she/her) work to reflect concepts of cultures crossing — focusing on her Chinese heritage, through the lens of utility, protection, decoration, and tactility. She aims to explore more about her cultural background through an eclectic range of artistic practices from video-making, music and hobby-crafts to fine-art, metalsmithing, and computer-aided design. She completed her BFA at the Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2019. Winona currently resides and practices in Portland, Oregon, working full-time as a stop-motion animation puppet-fabricator/armaturist, teaching metalsmithing workshops, and pursuing personal craft on her days off. https://winona-hwang.com/
Greg Wilbur
Greg Wilbur (he/him) is known for hammering/raising metal into sculptural and vessels forms, which he has done for over 45 years. He has taught throughout the US, Canada, New Zealand and France, and participated in more than 100 Art and Craft shows including the Smithsonian Craft Fair and the Philadelphia Crafts Show. In 1996 he cofounded the Art in the Pearl in Portland and served on that board for 15 years, concentrating on its educational efforts. In 1998 he participated in his first collaborative event held in Saskatoon, Canada, and has since done 28 such events worldwide. In 2005 he helped establish an ongoing Oregon collaborative event called Frogwood. In 2013 he curated East/West: The Hammered Metal Object, a show that bought together 22 metalsmiths from America and Japan. He shows work at Waterstone Gallery in Portland, OR, and RowBoat Gallery at Shalishan, OR. www.gregwilbur.com