Susan Hutchinson, Xpress advertising manager and Southern Highland Craft Guild member, at the forge. Photo by Steve Mann, courtesy of the Southern Highland Craft Guild
Press release from the Southern Highland Craft Guild:
The Southern Highland Craft Guild opens its fourth and final exhibition for the 2018 year with Forging Ahead: A Blacksmith Invitational in the Folk Art Center’s main gallery upstairs. It features 36 objects from makers of the Western North Carolina chapter of Artist Blacksmith Association of North America. Works range from functional to decorative emphasizing the discipline of finesse with fire of a forge. On Nov. 3, an opening reception will be held in the main gallery from 3 to 5 p.m. for the exhibitors and public.
Many modern blacksmiths still work with the old-fashioned tools and techniques handed down through the centuries. However, as the years pass, new technology and sophisticated equipment have emerged to help lessen the workload of the contemporary blacksmith.
“How Does Your Garden Grow” by Susan Hutchinson. Photo by Steve Mann, courtesy of the Southern Highland Craft Guild
Southern Highland Craft Guild member Susan Hutchinson, also a member of ABANA, gave curator Nikki Josheff and photographer Steve Mann a demonstration shaping steel using the traditional blacksmith tools, hammer and anvil, and then on a modern electric power hammer. Forging Ahead captures the arduous nature of blacksmith, even to the smallest details, as can be seen in Robert Timberlake’s thimble.
Early blacksmiths were essential to the survival of any community. They were the most important craftsmen on the first ships from Europe that colonized the New World/Americas. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, they created all iron and steel tools. Because of the high cost to create such tools, repairing a tool was preferable to having a new tool made.
This exhibit is located on the second floor of the Folk Art Center in the main gallery through the end of January 2019. All products are available for purchase, online and in the gallery shop below.
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The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.