Photo by Adam Clear Photography
Photo by BLM Photography
Photo by BLM Photography
Woman And Machine is a trades initiative based in Plympton, MA, about a half hour south of Boston, 5 minutes off Route 3.
With an emphasis on welding and metal art, Woman And Machine is bringing a fun, supportive, and approachable teaching technique to the trades.
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What WAM (Woman And Machine) is known for is hosting single day events around the United States (since 2018). Due to COVID-19 we had to do some re-evaluating of hosting events. Now since 2020, WAM has begun to offer local classes that deal with welding, metal art, and basic vehicle maintenance.
Some classes are for ladies only, but majority of our classes are co-ed. There’s also the opportunity for custom workshops to be developed and private instruction!
There are various locations for where in-person classes/workshops are hosted, and a few classes have the ability to be mobile and come to a location near you. Feel free to reach out for more information.
Our aim is to educate newcomers in the field, empower others to join, create this network as a resource, and encourage one another to reach our full potential while positively impacting the community.
- Karen
Karen Sullivan
Founder/Owner/Instructor
Karen started Woman And Machine 5 years ago when she was asked if she would teach welding to some local women. Originally taught by her husband who is an internationally awarded welder - she has since been taught by many others over the years to expand her knowledge.
Having a degree in Art History, Karen has always been a lover of art and an artist - mainly drawing and painting. Pairing metal with her art just took a little longer to come to fruition. A lover of old trucks and sunflowers - it heavily influences her pieces where you’ll find old scrap metal being woven together to create floral inspired arrangements.
Contact information - info@womanandmachine.org
Joanie Butler
West Coast Woman And Machine Lead/Instructor
Industry enhancer, ArcZone Pro Account and Distributor sales, manages the Arc-Zone Pro Partnership, instructor with Woman And Machine.
Metal artist and traveling welding/fabrication instructor. Works as a independent contractor for multiple nonprofit and for profit organizations that provide opportunities to drive interest into the trades for both men and women. Has worked with; The Jessi Combs Foundation, Women Who Weld, Woman And Machine, Weld Like A Girl, Nessys Kustoms, Hammers and Hops, Trick Tools, CK Worldwide, FlameTech, Southern Colorado Hats, Arc Zone, American Welding Society, Lincoln Electric, Miller, Flying Dutchman Industries, Girl Scouts, and that’s just to name a few.
Contact information - joanie.butler@womanandmachine.org
Michelle Pesanelli
Apprentice
Michelle’s appreciation for art has made her a perpetual student of craft and design. She has studied drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, writing and most recently metal art. Her work has been displayed in art shows for Quincy College and Plymouth Center for the Arts.
Michelle’s love for metal developed from over a decade of working in the fastener industry where she sold nuts and bolts and curated fastener trainings as a certified fastener specialist. The desire to learn to weld was an innate step and fueled by stories from her father’s time as an iron worker in Antarctica.