The metalworking room at Oak Park and River Forest High School was filled with sounds of students hammering, sawing, drilling, soldering, talking and laughing. 

The metalworking club at OPRF meets every week on Wednesdays after school. In the club, students learn how to use tools to create jewelry, decorations and other trinkets.

Metalworking is an elective that also became a club in 2019 with the goal of introducing students to the art form who didn’t have room in their schedule to take the class. It has since become a creative outlet for countless students of all grade levels.

“It’s such a diverse group of kids, like anyone can come in,” said Melinda Novotny, the club sponsor and metalworking teacher. “It’s 9th through 12th grade. Almost none of them have actually taken metalwork class, so what I love is that these are students that I wouldn’t get to interact with necessarily if they weren’t in the club.” 

The club is largely student led, with two co-presidents and several officers who have also taken the class. 

Newer members are encouraged to ask other students for help, which creates an environment where students of all levels are able to feel like leaders in some capacity. “I love how it’s peer-to-peer, and I think that means they can feel like they have a leadership role even as a young student,” said Novotny. “It provides them with an opportunity to feel autonomous.”

Co-President Audrey Cass, a junior, said she enjoys her leadership role. “I get to help other people, which I adore,” she said. 

This is a sentiment shared by the other co-president, junior Myles Franklin. “My favorite thing about being a leader of this club is helping the new ones out. It’s nice to have people rely on you,” said Franklin.

This helps create a space where new members feel comfortable joining and asking for help at any skill level. “We want to make sure it’s a really welcoming environment where anybody can come at any point,” said Novotny. 

Metalworking club provides an opportunity for students to work at their own pace on projects they’re interested in. At the beginning of the year the leaders go over the basics with any new members, and occasionally there are organized workshops, such as a recent resin workshop. 

“I really love that we get to go at our own pace,” said Cass. “If you miss a couple weeks, it’s fine.”

Students have created pieces ranging from keychains to rings to chain mail. “We had someone who wanted to make a crown, so we had big sheets of metal to do it. That was pretty cool,” said Reilly Duda, an officer and senior. 

“I’ve always liked hands-on art and creating stuff from scratch instead of 2D,” said Cass.

For Duda, “the openness to what you want to do,” is the best part of metalworking club. “It kind of adapts to what you want to achieve.”

Many students choose to make pieces for other people. “It feels a little bit more special when it’s for someone else,” said Duda.

The environment of metalworking club is “definitely chaotic,” said Cass, “but it’s also really fun because you build these connections and friendships. I met one of my closest friends here.” 

The club provides a space to explore an art-form in a safe and supportive environment.

“It lets you get your stress out, and it’s a nice way to get lost in something,” said Franklin.