From Studio Art to Metalworking: One Student's Summer of Surprising Passion

A student joined the Hip Hop Time Capsule project at Washington College’s Innovation Plant seeking creative opportunities and found a new calling in metalworking, connecting art, history, and community along the way.

When Jeremy Cress '27 enrolled in Washington College as an Art Studio major, he was searching for opportunities to apply his creative skills. This summer he was given a chance to do just that as an intern working on the Hip Hop Time Capsule at the Innovation Plant. Student interns were given a choice of working in several craft-based educational tracks offered through the project as it expanded its reach and offerings this year, including metal working, music production, print making, and mural art. 

In deciding to join the metalworking group, Cress' experience expanded beyond learning how to weld or use a plasma cutter; he embarked on a journey that connected art, history, and community, all while discovering a surprising new passion that could shape his future and growing his leadership skills.  

"As an artist looking for creative opportunities, Hip Hop Time Capsule stood out amongst most of the opportunities I was looking through," Cress said. "I was really looking for somewhere I could put my artistic abilities to use and/or learn more creative skills. And it definitely was a great choice." 

Cress and his fellow interns were tasked with creating a functional piece of art for the Washington College Innovation Plant, the historic site at 800 High Street that was the focus of this year's HHTC program, using the site's history and future as inspiration for their creations. Alongside high schoolers from across the region who were also working on the project, the team collectively decided to build a conference table with three accompanying benches.  

"My main task was helping the [high school] students do whatever they wanted to do," Cress explained. "We worked together to decide if we wanted to make something practical or decorative."  

Using materials provided by the college, including slabs of wood from a downed tree on campus, the interns learned to operate a plasma cutter and a welding machine to assemble the metal components, as well as sand and prep the wood with epoxy resin.  

Under the guidance of professional sculptor and instructor Christian Benefiel — a sculptor, professor and director of welding and fabrication at Chesapeake College — Cress gained an appreciation for Chestertown's unique and rich Black history woven into the project, a hallmark of the Hip Hop Time Capsule's mission. With the help of the Project's instructors, the crash course into Kent County's tradition of industry and entrepreneurship became an unexpected source of inspiration for Cress.  

"I think one of the coolest parts of this was learning about some of the history of music and graffiti," he noted. "I got to incorporate some of the things I learned when I made art during the experience." This newfound appreciation for lettering and graffiti styles influenced the small metal plates each intern created and attached to the finished table. 

The experience also provided vital professional connections for Cress and his fellow interns. Representatives from Dixon Valve and Coupling, whose factory was previously located on the site and a collaborator on this year's Hip Hop Time Capsule, were invited to speak with the interns about their company and potential career paths. Cress believes these connections significantly helped him bridge the gap between his artistic interests and professional opportunities.  

“Jeremy exemplified the kind of experiential learning we strive to cultivate at Washington College—he stepped beyond his comfort zone, embraced the full scope of the Hip Hop Time Capsule experience, and used it as a platform to explore his identity and future aspirations,” said Darius Johnson, the director of Chesapeake Heartland Project at the Starr Center, noting that Cress noticeably grew in his civic engagement, curiosity, leadership, and innovation, all core values of the College.  “We look forward to supporting Jeremy's continued growth throughout his academic journey and beyond."  

While his primary focus as an intern was metalworking, Cress was surprised to find a new fascination with another creative discipline offered by the program. "I was sort of surprised by how interested I was in Music Production," he said, noting that he found himself drawn to understanding how music is created and what inspires its composition.  

Cress hopes to explore this interest further in the coming year. His experience offers a glimpse into how Washington College programs foster not only professional development but also personal growth and a broader understanding of the creative fields.  

“Jeremy's story represents the best of Washington College,” said Pat Nugent, the Miller Director of Civic Engagement at the Starr Center. “The College has built a visionary program in collaboration with several regional partners — from the Kent County Local Management Board and Minary's Dream Alliance to the Philip E. & Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation and Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) — and it is making an enormous impact on our community. At the same time, students like Jeremy, who actively contribute to that positive change, develop substantial workplace skills, professional pathways, and civic inspiration from the experiential learning opportunity. It's a win-win-win for all involved and it exemplifies how Washington College students can make a deep and lasting impact on the world while also learning and investing in themselves.” 

- Dominique Ellis Falcon

Photos credit: Caroline J. Phillips