Intro to Blacksmithing: Marshmallow Sticks and Fire Pokers with Anna Koplik

All-Day Workshop

Date: Saturday, October 25

Time: 10am-5pm

Description: In this introductory blacksmithing workshop, students will be taught how to make their own one-of-a-kind, hand forged steel fire tools, including fire pokers and marshmallow sticks. We will go over using a gas forge to heat steel, how to properly swing a hammer, forge tapers, and create decorative twists and loops. Students will have the opportunity to experiment with different forging techniques and develop designs for their own unique fire tools. Students will leave with fire pokers and marshmallow sticks. Maybe a fire rake if you're feeling ambitious!

Tuition: $140 + $30 materials fee

Note: We really want you to join us in the studio! Full and partial tuition scholarships are available to offset some of the financial burden of attending a class.

Please fill out the application here! You can expect to hear from someone on the CC staff within 2 weeks.

If you have any questions, email Vicki Branagan, Metals Studio Coordinator, at vbranagan@contemporarycraft.org.

Materials: All materials will be provided.

Students should wear natural fibers such as cotton and denim. Uncuffed pants and closed-toe shoes are required (no shorts or sandals permitted). Long hair should be restrained. Safety glasses and hearing protection are provided; however, participants may bring their own if preferred. We recommend bringing a watter bottle stay hydrated!

Location: Contemporary Craft - Timmons Studios, Blacksmithing Studio (5688 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201)

Cancellations and Refunds: Workshop cancellations are decided three business days before the start date. If workshops must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class fee will be refunded through Eventbrite, or you may leave your workshop fee in your Contemporary Craft account for future workshops.

Refund Policy: Student refund requests must be made at least three business days before a class begins. There will be a $25 cancellation fee. We are unable to refund materials cost for this workshop. No refunds will be given without three-business days notice. Processing of refunds takes approximately three weeks.

About the Artist

Anna Koplik received her BFA in Jewelry from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where she discovered her love for metalwork and forging. After graduating she shifted her focus to blacksmithing and began traveling, working at crafts schools and as a journeyman architectural smith, teaching blacksmithing workshops, and going on adventures whenever possible. Her personal work focuses mainly on tool and utensil making, and combining functionality with a refined, delicate aesthetic. Anna has worked at a variety of shops, including Atlas Forge, Caleb Kullman Studio, and Spirit Ironworks, as well as taught at various craft schools such as Penland School of Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and John C. Campbell Folk School.