About

Florida, NY—The Center for Metal Arts is a fully-equipped metal arts teaching studio with workshops and events in Blacksmithing and Small Metals. Workshops are designed to give the design professional, artisan, and the larger lay public an opportunity to work hot metal at the forge and anvil, and to explore the design potential of the metals.

Working physically with one of humanity’s oldest materials can be a creative springboard for new ideas in the design process, in an environment away from the office and virtual design work on the computer. These hands-on classes give participants an opportunity to experience the physicality of working hot metal, and the drama of rhythmic work at the anvil. No prior metals experience is required to participate in a workshop.

The Center for Metal Arts has been holding classes in the metal arts since 2003, when Uri Hofi, the international icon of contemporary blacksmithing, gave a two-week intensive in his signature free-form forging. Hofi, who teaches across Europe, has since returned biennially, and the Center for Metal Arts is equipped in the ergonomic Hofi method. The Metal Arts program is equipped with 12 working stations for hammer work at the anvil, power hammer stations, gas and coal forges, and a classroom area.

Adjacent to the classroom area is the working studio of Fine Architectural Metalsmiths, in the renovated 1890's Borden's Creamery Icehouse. The gallery showroom is an idea factory of “sketches in iron” metal design, repousse, fold-form work, bronze casting, forge work studies, and finishes. Fine Architectural Metalsmiths, at www.iceforge.com, has been an award-winning metal arts studio since 1981, and the icehouse gallery holds studies and elements for such projects as the Inner Courtyard Gate at the Dakota on 72nd Street and Central Park West in NYC.

A participant in a recent five-day intensive writes, “In our workshop, we concentrated on making organic pieces using the specially engineered combination dies and radius dies for really moving the metal fast. On some pieces we were able to forge fairly complicated pieces in one or two heats that would normally take 8-10 heats in the forge. Anyone interested in really 'fast forwarding' their blacksmith skills, or just helping to get out of an artistic rut, owes it to themselves to attend one of these workshops. And a visit to the showroom is one of the benefits of attending a workshop at the Center for Metal Arts.  A tour of the metal arts gallery would be a treat to any artisan, craftsman or metal oriented individual.”  

The Center for Metal Arts offers workshops and seminars for metal artisan professionals, artists, and design professionals as well as individuals wanting to work with metals as a life skill. The hands-on workshops provide a physical and visual balance to working in the sedentary virtual design space.

The Center for Metal Arts is located in the picturesque farm village of Florida, in Orange County NY, about 1 hour upstate from New York City. Course dates are September 26 and October 10, 2009. To register for a hands-on session at the forge, call (888) 862-9577 or email cma@iceforge.com.