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The artistry of blacksmiths to be on display at Elora art show

Fire & Steel Contemporary Blacksmithing exhibition will be on display at the Elora Centre For The Arts from February 21 to March 31
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Blacksmith Irian Fast-Sittler will be one of the artists featured at an upcoming exhibition in Elora. Supplied photo

A new gallery exhibit opening in Elora next week will highlight and educate people on the artistry or blacksmithing.

The Fire & Steel Contemporary Blacksmithing exhibition will be on display at the Elora Centre For The Arts from Feb. 21 to March 31. The opening reception is Thursday, Feb. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The exhibit will showcase the works of 17 blacksmiths from across southwestern Ontario, with each blacksmith having up to three pieces on display.

They will range from intricate metalwork up to larger pieces, such as an ornate iron gate one of the blacksmiths has spent six months creating for a client.

Elora-area artist blacksmith Wolfgang Bleckert helped organize the exhibition.

“This is the first time really that we’ve put something like this on,” Bleckert said. “It will be a great show.”

Bleckert said the Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association and said educating the public about blacksmithing as art is one of the organization’s goals.

“We’re always talking about how can we bring this more forward to the public, to educate the public about what the past of blacksmithing is and what the future will be,” Bleckert said. “It’s not just hammering something out. It’s architectural, it’s sculptural.

“That is the main purpose of this exhibit, to educate the public and show them what the blacksmith of today does.”

Bleckert said blacksmiths do a demonstration at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market.

“People come and watch us working and are surprised. The say ‘oh, I thought you just did horseshoes,’” Bleckert said. “That’s the perception of a lot of people.”

Organizers say it is the first time artist blacksmiths have collaborated on a gallery exhibition in Ontario.

They hope to hold it again next year, perhaps in another location.

“This compelling body of work is an honest expression of what’s capturing the imagination of blacksmiths, who make a living hammering hot metal in order to re-shape it into useful, pleasing or thought-provoking objects of art,” is how the Elora Centre For The Arts describes the endeavour.

The group of 17 artist blacksmiths in the exhibit are part of the Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association and have varied techniques and creative styles.

Participating artist blacksmiths include Bleckert, David Cross from Rio Brava Ironworks in Elora and Graeme Sheffield from Ironwood Anvil Blacksmithing in Guelph.

Three of the artist blacksmiths are women.

The Elora Centre For The Arts is located at 75 Melville St.

For more details, click here.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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