We’re proud to announce that we have started work on a new project – a community sculpture to honour first responders, frontline and essential workers. The best part? We’re not just making it to honour them, we’re making it with them.
Blacksmithing has always been about so much more than the finished product. Whether we’re creating a functional tool, decorative embellishment, or conceptual art piece, the process of working with steel and fire is consistently cathartic. The physicality of it puts our minds at ease. The infinite creative possibilities spark inspiration and help us form new perspectives. We want to honour frontline workers by offering them this artistic practice in support of their mental health and emotional wellbeing. These workshops will be a space for open participation and camaraderie, offering the opportunity to learn a new skill while engaging in a mindful task.
We are so excited to embark on this creative journey and give back to a community that has given us so much.
A commemorative sculpture for front line workers will be built under the skillful guidance of a master blacksmith. Not only will they be honoured by the sculpture, but the front line workers will be engaged in the actual creation of the piece, enabling them the space for a healing and therapeutic experience.
We will host frontline workers in a series of small workshops. This will be a space to engage in an environment that allows open participation, camaraderie, and the opportunity to learn some new skills all while engaging in a mindful task. The individual efforts will become part of a permanent sculpture honouring their contributions to the public. Workshops will be offered to participants free of charge to create a small, forged metal piece that will become part of a larger sculpture. Participant names will be etched into each piece and skillfully forged into a larger monument by a master blacksmith. The finished piece will be a large maple leaf, a recognized symbol of our national identity.
This project aims to honour frontline workers by supporting their mental and emotional health through artistic metal working. We will recruit close to 100 participants through our connections in the Foothills community.
The goal is to provide a sense of accomplishment, mental and physical well-being, and the knowledge and experience to continue the craft in their own communities if they so desire.
We have completed the Forged Community Sculpture project, but we still welcome you to join us and continue to learn the craft and dedicate time on your mental health. Our classes provide a safe and nurturing environment to explore your emotions and channel them into the creative process.
Join us and unlock the power of blacksmithing!
Media:
An Alberta blacksmith and first responders forge lasting tribute to mental health struggle
Crafting art out of emotions:
First responders are discovering the therapeutic practice of forging metal into the creation of a community sculpture while bonding with like-minded people.
