Entry No. 50 — the New Orleans file — filed under: hands-on
NOLA Metalsmithing
Tucked into a Royal Street studio at the Marigny/Bywater edge, NOLA Metalworks (the working studio that took over the longtime New Orleans School of Metalsmithing space) teaches bench jewelry and small-scale metalwork. Instruction runs on a course-and-workshop model led by working metalsmiths, with students sawing, soldering, and finishing on real jeweler's benches to produce rings, pendants, bracelets, cuffs, chains, and small containers. Beginner-level (Level I) programs welcome people who have never picked up a torch, alongside occasional drop-in sessions like a one-day cuff-making class.
The story
Tucked into the lower stretch of Royal Street where the Marigny bleeds into the Bywater, this space operates far from the souvenir-craft pipeline. Functioning as the working studio behind the New Orleans School of Metalsmithing lineage—which has run continuously since 2010—it puts real tools and raw stock directly into your hands rather than pre-packaged jewelry kits.
Instruction is led by seasoned working metalsmiths, including longtime instructor Steven Donnelly, who run students through the practical mechanics of bench work. Instead of sitting through abstract lectures, you sit at heavy wooden jeweler's benches equipped with bench pegs, flex shafts, and open gas torches, learning how metal actually moves when hit with heat and force.
The foundational programs (like Level I) assume you have never struck an arc or picked up a jeweler's saw. Over the course of a term or single-day intensive, you learn the core physics of cold-joining, silver soldering, filing, and finishing metal to construct rings, cuffs, pendants, chains, and small hollowware containers from scratch.
What it's like
Stepping inside means stepping onto an active shop floor filled with the smell of pickle pot solutions, flux, and warm metal. You will be spending your time bent over a wooden bench, wearing eye protection, maneuvering fine blade sawframes, and working gas torches to join sterling silver or brass. The curriculum leans heavily toward multi-week technical courses, but occasional one-day drop-in workshops like metal cuff-making pop up on the schedule. Space at the benches is tightly limited, so call ahead to lock down a spot.
The move: Sign up together for a beginner bench-jewelry class and each forge and solder a metal ring or pendant for the other.
📍 Before you go Offerings lean toward multi-week courses under the current instructor; ask about short or single-session workshops and confirm enrollment at 504-427-8010.
- 📍 Marigny
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2712 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70117
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Studio BE — Trade the intimate precision of a jeweler's bench for warehouse-scale street art murals just a short walk away in the Bywater.
- The Bywater Museum of Unnatural History — Follow up a workshop of shaping raw metal with a look through this weird, tiny Marigny cabinet of curiosities.
- Dr. Bob's Folk Art — Pair your own hands-on benchwork with a trip to Dr. Bob's working folk art compound down the street.
- Island of Salvation Botanica — Head north toward St. Claude to explore priestess Sallie Ann Glassman's long-running Vodou botanica.
Good to know
Do I need any previous metalworking or jewelry experience?
No. Level I courses and entry-level workshops are designed specifically for complete beginners who have never touched a blowtorch or jeweler's saw.
What kinds of projects will I make in class?
Depending on the specific course, students saw, solder, and polish items like metal rings, pendants, bracelets, cuffs, chains, and small containers.
How do I register for a workshop or class?
Offerings lean primarily toward multi-week terms alongside occasional single-day workshops. Confirm current enrollment status and schedule by calling 504-427-8010.
Where is the studio located?
The studio is located at 2712 Royal Street, right on the boundary between the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · nolametalworks.com
last checked: 2026-06-23