I have been making metal sculptures and jewelry since I was a kid, starting with copper and steel wire, and I began learning traditional blacksmithing in 2014. My work in the local blacksmithing community really impacted me and my development as an artist. In 2018, I wrote and submitted a grant application on behalf of Columbia Fire & Iron for the final
Spokane Arts Grant Award (SAGA) of the year. Our proposal was selected to receive the $10,000 grant so that we could invest in a trailer and six new anvils and more easily put on events for the community. (
Interview on Spokane Public Radio about CFI and the grant award.) As a result, 2019 was by far our most active year yet, with weekly demos at the EG Farmers Market during the summer — where we forged pieces of the ornamental bike rack that we would donate and install at the end of the season — and a workshop at the county library in addition to our usual three annual events. We were also invited to demo at the Spokane Arts Awards that fall and forged lucky miniature horse shoes as party favors, and I designed and forged the awards themselves with Steve McGrew for the 2019 winners. It was so rewarding to get to do so much forging that year, and we all had big plans for 2020 that would sadly come to a full stop due to COVID-19. We came back strong in 2022, hosting a handful of summer forging events (too hot!), demoing for 10 days at the fair and debuting the new Ironwork category in the Home Crafts Exhibit, teaching a blacksmithing-at-the-library workshop in Moran Prairie, and holding our first ever blacksmithing conference. We continue to learn and grow each year and add more events and resources. We've continued our library events, our annual conference, our hammer-ins, and interstate fair demo, and in 2024 we will be forging at the Spokane Renaissance Faire for the first time, too. Learn more at the
CFI website.
Above: "Local Fruit" 2019, forged steel bike rack installation.
Below: Steve McGrew, me, and David Kailey of
Columbia Fire & Iron at the SAGA announcement in December 2018.
