UW Master Craftsman Program Expands Career Opportunities for UW Art Students

The University of Wyoming’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) is undertaking a pilot program geared to give art students real-world experience in fabrication and restoration to help secure careers in manufacturing and design.

The program will be offered as an extracurricular course in the 2026 academic year.

UW art sculpture Professor Ashley Hope Carlisle oversees the Master Craftsman Program. Her approach to teaching creative problem-solving through art is the driving concept behind the initiative. The aim is to give learners direct exposure to business practices in industry, enabling them to pursue professions in production, development and construction.

“This is a uniquely innovative approach that enables budding professionals in art disciplines to participate in a variety of industries as well as start their own artisan businesses,” says CEI Director Robert Macy. “Students gain hands-on experience they can apply across a wide range of industries and career opportunities.”

Students learn skills such as welding, metals casting, and application of their artistic talents and learned skills in industrial applications.

“This is yet another example of how disciplines at UW, such as the visual arts, are playing a vital role in the development of the creative economy in Wyoming,” says Parag Chitnis, vice president for research and economic development. “The Master Craftsman Program exemplifies how UW helps students maximize the value of their education through practical, hands-on experience and entrepreneurial activities.”

“Ultimately, this initiative is not just about building objects; it’s about building careers, communities and a more robust creative economy in Wyoming,” Carlisle says. “Students learning these artisan industrial applications can contribute to our state’s strongest sectors, which include energy, manufacturing, tourism and other industrial operations.”