Creating Memorial Jewelry through Sand Casting and Ritual

It is said that in Autumn the veil between life and death is thinnest. In this workshop we will explore the ancient art of Sand Casting to create a unique piece of jewelry or small talisman memorializing a loved one, pet, memory, or place. Through metalworking, fire, and guided ritual, students will cast a personal keepsake imbued with presence, memory, and intention. Students are invited to bring a cherished object, cremains of a loved one, symbolic material, or a personal offering. Together we will mark this sacred time of year through co-creating an altar honoring the cycle of life and death and learning to sand cast sterling silver in red clay.

This workshop is open to all levels of experience. The only prerequisite is a willingness to reflect on the impermanence of life through ritual, storytelling, memories, and art making. 

Mendocino Art Center, October 18 & 19th, 10-4:00

Siblings scottie and Brienna Hall are excited to combine their individual passions and art forms into this unique ritual Sand Casting experience. 

scottie hall (ze|zir) is a Minneapolis based artist, hospice chaplain, and childless cat queer.  Ze invites hospice patients and their loved ones to meet death with curiosity through ritual, self-discovery, and radical acceptance of the natural dying process. A longtime practicing Buddhist scottie holds a MDiv from United Theological Seminary of Twin Cities where their studies included Interreligious Chaplaincy and Theopoetics.  

Brienna Hall is a jewelry artist and educator based in Mendocino, California, with a BFA in Sculpture and a minor in Fiber from the Kansas City Art Institute. Through her practice, Shrine Jewelry, she explores themes of memory, impermanence, and transformation using sand casting, fabrication  and recycled precious metals. Brienna teaches regularly in California and loves the joy and spontaneity that sand casting brings—she’s passionate about sharing that excitement through teaching and helping others create meaningful, personal work.

The Mendocino Art Center is a vibrant hub for the arts on the Northern California coast, offering workshops, exhibitions, and artist residencies in a stunning natural setting. Known for its supportive creative community, MAC has been nurturing artists of all levels since 1959.