New San Jac class to weld art and industry

San Jacinto College welding student Alec Gutierrez, of Pasadena, displays samples of metal artwork. (photo by Rob Vanya, SJC)

San Jacinto College students will be able to learn about the creative side
of welding in a new course starting this fall at the college's North Campus.

The two-semester "art welding" program might also be offered later at the
main Pasadena campus if the interest is high enough, the college says.

"Basically, we're trying to attract non-traditional students into welding,"
says Eddie Foster, chair of San Jac North's welding department.  "Older
people who may want to do it, females, things like that, people who don't
want to do welding as a career but would like to do some art-type work, yard
sculptures."

The course will involve teaching students how to do some light welding, and
how to realize artistic designs using those techniques. Foster says the
class will likely be taught by someone with an art background.

He says there should be room for about 50 students to take the course. It
will be in the afternoons, to make it accessible to students who pursue
other degrees through morning classes.