In this class, students will create a 6-7" European-style chef knife. Starting with a section of flat 1080 steel bar, the class will cover forging, grinding, heat treatment, handle fitment and finishing techniques. Students will leave with a finished, hidden tang blade ready to take home and prep a meal. There will be opportunities for additional forging as time allows. Beginner blacksmithing experience is strongly recommended but not required.

Course fee: $500

Materials fee: $50

Class size limited to 6

Zach is a welder by trade with experience in a wide range of industries. Based in rural NY, he is an ABS bladesmith who creates custom, heirloom-quality, hand forged kitchen cutlery and edged tools. He strives to blend traditional and modern techniques and materials to create quality tools to be used for decades in the kitchen. After teaching welding for Monroe Community College and at the Arc + Flame Center for seven years, Zach now runs his own company where, in addition to blades, he manufactures tooling and machines for blacksmiths and metalworkers. He is passionate about collaborating with other local artisans, makers, and tradespeople. In his classes, Zach seeks to inspire students by sharing the functional artistry of modern bladesmithing. https://tarbellindustries.com/

Start your year off right with something new! We won’t be drinking but things will get hot and sweaty while we Bang in the New Year!

This class is limited to 6 students. Experience what it's like to work hot steel. Students will learn to create a leaf. Focus will be on the fundamentals of hammer control to get the steel to respond the way we want it to. The class will go over the basic operations of isolating material, forming, and finally texturing with the anvil and hammer to give the leaf life.

This class is an excellent way to get a taste of forging. Candy will use a combination of demonstrations and hands-on instruction to enhance your learning experience.

This class is limited to 6 students, is from 8 PM to Midnight on January 31st.

Candace started blacksmithing in 2006 and has explored many aspects of working metal. Through her explorations she has developed a strong belief that regardless of what you create a strong foundation in the basic, fundamental techniques is critical. All her classes incorporate this focus on developing strong foundational skills.

This two-day workshop introduces students to the safe and effective use of the power hammer for forging steel.

Students will learn how the machine works and how to control hot material beneath the dies. Demonstrations will cover drawing out, tapering, spreading, isolating mass and creating texture. The class will also address forging temperature, work holding, body position and basic tooling.

Students will practice moving between the power hammer and the anvil as they complete a series of structured exercises. The goal is to build confidence with the machine and develop skills that can support future sculptural, functional or toolmaking projects.

Prior blacksmithing experience is helpful but not required.

Students Should Bring

● Leather steel toe boots or safety-toe boots

● Long natural-fiber pants

● Long-sleeved natural-fiber shirt

● Notebook or sketchbook

● Reusable water bottle

Annalisa Barron is an interdisciplinary artist based in New York City and Rochester, NY. She graduated from Penn State University with a BFA in painting and drawing in 2013 and with an MFA in sculpture from the Pratt Institute in 2017. Her work has been exhibited at the Cooper Union, University of Rochester, Southern Oregon University, BunkerPROJECTS Gallery (Pittsburgh, PA), U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua, NO/GLOSS film festival (UK), and the Anthology Film Archives (NYC). The Kingdom of Back (2017) was featured in Berlin, Germany, as part of GRRL HAUS Cinema’s 2018 European tour. She served as a panelist for the 2020 NYFA Craft and Sculpture Fellowships and is a recipient of NYSCA’s 2021 DEC Regrant Program/Individual Artist Grant. She has received support from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the New York Film and Video Council, the AAUW, the New York State Inspire Grant, Penn State University, and the Simmons-Jansma Project Renew Grant. Currently, Annalisa teaches in the College of Art and Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. http://www.annalisabarron.com

Experience what it's like to work hot steel in an open and welcoming way. Students will learn the fundamentals of blacksmithing.

Topics will include operation of gas forges; learning about efficient hammer technique; tapering metal; scrolling and bending; and many other topics. Note this class is not a project-based class, so while you may leave with many samples you may not end up with a completed project.

The focus of this class is on building comfort with equipment and developing forging skills. Candy will use a combination of demonstrations and hands-on instruction to enhance your learning experience.

Class will make use of hammers, forges, vises and various other tools found in a smithy.

This class is limited to 6 students.

Who Should Take this class:

This class is open to women of all experience levels. Class will make use of hammers, forges, vises and various other tools found in a smithy.

Candace started blacksmithing in 2006 and has explored many aspects of working metal. Through her explorations she has developed a strong belief that regardless of what you create a strong foundation in the basic, fundamental techniques is critical. All her classes incorporate this focus on developing strong foundational skills.

This three-day workshop introduces forging as a way to develop sculptural form. Students will begin with basic techniques such as drawing, tapering, bending, twisting and spreading. They will then use these processes to create small studies in steel.

Demonstrations will include hand forging, power hammer use, cutting, grinding, fitting and basic joining. Sketching and quick physical studies will help students test ideas before committing to a finished form.

The emphasis is on experimentation and on learning how the behavior of hot steel can influence design decisions. Students will leave with forged samples, sculptural studies and a stronger foundation for using blacksmithing processes in their own creative work.

No previous forging experience is required.

Students Should Bring

● Leather steel toe boots or safety-toe boots

● Long natural-fiber pants

● Long-sleeved natural-fiber shirt

● Sketchbook and pencils

● Reusable water bottle

● Packing materials for finished work

Annalisa Barron is an interdisciplinary artist based in New York City and Rochester, NY. She graduated from Penn State University with a BFA in painting and drawing in 2013 and with an MFA in sculpture from the Pratt Institute in 2017. Her work has been exhibited at the Cooper Union, University of Rochester, Southern Oregon University, BunkerPROJECTS Gallery (Pittsburgh, PA), U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua, NO/GLOSS film festival (UK), and the Anthology Film Archives (NYC). The Kingdom of Back (2017) was featured in Berlin, Germany, as part of GRRL HAUS Cinema’s 2018 European tour. She served as a panelist for the 2020 NYFA Craft and Sculpture Fellowships and is a recipient of NYSCA’s 2021 DEC Regrant Program/Individual Artist Grant. She has received support from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the New York Film and Video Council, the AAUW, the New York State Inspire Grant, Penn State University, and the Simmons-Jansma Project Renew Grant. Currently, Annalisa teaches in the College of Art and Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. http://www.annalisabarron.com

This two-day workshop introduces students to the safe and effective use of the power hammer for forging steel.

Students will learn how the machine works and how to control hot material beneath the dies. Demonstrations will cover drawing out, tapering, spreading, isolating mass and creating texture. The class will also address forging temperature, work holding, body position and basic tooling.

Students will practice moving between the power hammer and the anvil as they complete a series of structured exercises. The goal is to build confidence with the machine and develop skills that can support future sculptural, functional or toolmaking projects.

Prior blacksmithing experience is helpful but not required.

Students Should Bring

● Leather steel toe boots or safety-toe boots

● Long natural-fiber pants

● Long-sleeved natural-fiber shirt

● Notebook or sketchbook

● Reusable water bottle

Annalisa Barron is an interdisciplinary artist based in New York City and Rochester, NY. She graduated from Penn State University with a BFA in painting and drawing in 2013 and with an MFA in sculpture from the Pratt Institute in 2017. Her work has been exhibited at the Cooper Union, University of Rochester, Southern Oregon University, BunkerPROJECTS Gallery (Pittsburgh, PA), U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua, NO/GLOSS film festival (UK), and the Anthology Film Archives (NYC). The Kingdom of Back (2017) was featured in Berlin, Germany, as part of GRRL HAUS Cinema’s 2018 European tour. She served as a panelist for the 2020 NYFA Craft and Sculpture Fellowships and is a recipient of NYSCA’s 2021 DEC Regrant Program/Individual Artist Grant. She has received support from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the New York Film and Video Council, the AAUW, the New York State Inspire Grant, Penn State University, and the Simmons-Jansma Project Renew Grant. Currently, Annalisa teaches in the College of Art and Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. http://www.annalisabarron.com

Experience what it's like to work hot steel! Students will learn the fundamentals of blacksmithing. Topics will include operation of gas forges; learning about efficient hammer technique; tapering metal; scrolling and bending; and many other topics.

Note this class is not a project-based class, so while you may leave with many samples you may not end up with a completed project. The focus of this class is on building comfort with equipment and developing forging skills.

Candy will use a combination of demonstrations and hands-on instruction to enhance your learning experience.

Who Should Take this class:

This class is open to all experience levels. Class will make use of hammers, forges, vises and various other tools found in a smithy.

Candace started blacksmithing in 2006 and has explored many aspects of working metal. Through her explorations she has developed a strong belief that regardless of what you create a strong foundation in the basic, fundamental techniques is critical. All her classes incorporate this focus on developing strong foundational skills.

In this class, students will create a small kitchen utility knife. Starting with a section of flat 1080 steel bar, the class will cover forging, grinding, heat treatment, handle fitment and finishing techniques. Students will leave with a finished, full-tang blade, ready to prep a meal. There will be opportunities for additional forging as time allows. Beginner blacksmithing experience is strongly recommended but not required.

Must bring:

• Work boots/shoes. No sneakers
• Long pants, no shorts
• Clothing must be cotton/denim/wool, no synthetics
• Comfortable safety glasses
• Notepad
• Water bottle

Class size is limited to 6

Materials fee: $25

Zach is a welder by trade with experience in a wide range of industries. Based in rural NY, he is an ABS bladesmith who creates custom, heirloom-quality, hand forged kitchen cutlery and edged tools. He strives to blend traditional and modern techniques and materials to create quality tools to be used for decades in the kitchen. After teaching welding for Monroe Community College and at the Arc + Flame Center for seven years, Zach now runs his own company where, in addition to blades, he manufactures tooling and machines for blacksmiths and metalworkers. He is passionate about collaborating with other local artisans, makers, and tradespeople. In his classes, Zach seeks to inspire students by sharing the functional artistry of modern bladesmithing. https://tarbellindustries.com/

Over the course of four full days, participants will explore the techniques and aesthetics that define Japanese-style kitchen blades. Students will use Blue #2 zenko (mono steel) stock to forge a chef’s knife by hand. The class will focus on the basics of forging, heat treating, grinding, and sharpening our blades. In addition to forging and finishing the blade, the class will emphasize traditional Wa handle making and fitting, demonstrating how to achieve the clean, functional designs characteristic of Japanese knives. Whether you are new to bladesmithing or looking to expand your skills, this workshop offers a comprehensive introduction to Japanese forging techniques while encouraging experimentation and personal expression in your work. Each student will leave with a fully finished blade, ready for use.

Class fee: $475

Materials fee: $75

Class size limited to 6

Kiran Chapman (he/they) is a blacksmith based in Maine. They became fascinated by blacksmithing after moving to Maine from NYC and meeting a local knife maker. They went on to work for Wick’s Forge, a third-generation blacksmith shop, for two years. In addition to their own studio where they teach blacksmithing classes, they run the sharpening department at Strata Portland, which offers endless learning and practice on a wide range of blades. Their experience working at Strata and visiting makers in Japan has had a big impact on the type of blades they make and their understanding of metallurgy and blade geometry.

Chasing is the art of using specialized hammers, punches, and chisels to emboss images into the surface of metal. From simple to complex, adding chased elements to a metal's surface softens and dignifies its appearance. This class will introduce you to the various tools and techniques to create images and patterns on any metal. You'll use these techniques to create a patterns on flat copper sheet suitable for framing, use as jewelry, or inlay into wood. Other topics covered include annealing, work hardening, and patination.

Who Should Take this class:

This class is open a to all experience levels. Students with a meticulous eye for detail will love this class.

Student tips: Bring your glasses or best magnifying readers. Your Noise Cancelling earbuds or headphones can make many simultaneous hammers more pleasant.

Class will make use of hand tools, torches, and mild chemicals for cleaning and patination.

Class fee: $300

Materials fee: $75

Class size limited to 10

Brian took his first blacksmithing class in 2005 under local smith Richard Rightmyer to learn how to make his own woodworking tools. Captivated by the feel of hot metal under the hammer, Brian poured all his free time into advancing his smithing skills taking classes whenever he could. Brian began teaching blacksmithing and coppersmithing in 2012 and has demonstrated at many public events and conferences. Recently, he has focused on the art of copper chasing, finding the meticulous attention to detail it requires to be a form of meditation in motion. Brian is an electrical engineer by day and holds a 6th Degree black belt in Aikido. He finds many commonalities with the efficient body movements of martial arts and the proper ergonomics for blacksmithing and coppersmithing. Brian has blended the arts to create effective and safe hammering techniques for people of all sizes. s an engineer, he is fascinated by the science of blacksmithing, specifically the metallurgy that goes into tool making. He firmly believes that true learning happens when you are having fun.

Experience what it's like to work hot steel! Students will learn to create a grill turner. Focus will be on the fundamentals of hammer control to get the steel to respond the way we want it to. The class will go over the basic operations of tapering material, forming, and finally refining function with the anvil and hammer.

Teasers are an excellent way to get a taste of forging. Candy will use a combination of demonstrations and hands-on instruction to enhance your learning experience.

Who Should Take this class:

This is a beginner class. We will make use of hammers and forges. The course runs from 6pm to 10 pm.

Candace started blacksmithing in 2006 and has explored many aspects of working metal. Through her explorations she has developed a strong belief that regardless of what you create a strong foundation in the basic, fundamental techniques is critical. All her classes incorporate this focus on developing strong foundational skills.

This two-day workshop provides a hands-on introduction to MIG welding and basic steel fabrication. Students will learn how the welder works and how to set up the machine for mild steel. Practice exercises will focus on establishing a stable arc and producing consistent welds.

Students will make several common joints and learn how to recognize basic welding problems. Demonstrations will also cover measuring, marking, cutting, grinding, clamping and fitting steel. Safety, ventilation and material preparation will be discussed throughout the workshop.

After completing the practice exercises, students will apply their skills to a small fabrication project.

The class is designed for beginners and does not require previous welding experience.

Students Should Bring

● Leather steel toe boots or safety-toe boots

● Long natural-fiber pants

● Long-sleeved natural-fiber shirt

● Notebook and pencil

● Reusable water bottle

Annalisa Barron is an interdisciplinary artist based in New York City and Rochester, NY. She graduated from Penn State University with a BFA in painting and drawing in 2013 and with an MFA in sculpture from the Pratt Institute in 2017. Her work has been exhibited at the Cooper Union, University of Rochester, Southern Oregon University, BunkerPROJECTS Gallery (Pittsburgh, PA), U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua, NO/GLOSS film festival (UK), and the Anthology Film Archives (NYC). The Kingdom of Back (2017) was featured in Berlin, Germany, as part of GRRL HAUS Cinema’s 2018 European tour. She served as a panelist for the 2020 NYFA Craft and Sculpture Fellowships and is a recipient of NYSCA’s 2021 DEC Regrant Program/Individual Artist Grant. She has received support from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the New York Film and Video Council, the AAUW, the New York State Inspire Grant, Penn State University, and the Simmons-Jansma Project Renew Grant. Currently, Annalisa teaches in the College of Art and Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology. http://www.annalisabarron.com