Free hands-on activities for people of all ages were very popular

What a wonderful event! Last weekend, we enjoyed demos by amazing blacksmiths, competitive forge-offs, hands-on activities, inspiring vendors, and a beautiful exhibition, all as a part of the annual Fire on the Mountain blacksmithing festival.

A forged bracelet 

Penland is proud to be a part of this event, produced in collaboration with Spruce Pine Main Street, Toe River Arts, Arthur Morgan School, and the many smiths and volunteers who make this wonderfully niche event such a rare and celebrated gathering of blacksmiths and enthusiasts.

It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun and we could not have asked for a better day or more excellent folks to spend it with.

Seth Gould had us enthralled at the close-up tent

We enjoyed the following demonstrations:

2024 FEATURED ARTIST BLACKSMITH
Pete Braspenninx
Demo: Fire-welding sculpture

Claire Ashby
Demo: small-scale sand casting in bronze and shibuichi for jewelry and hardware applications

Cole Aurichio
Demo: Sculptural forging and fire welding anatomical forms and figures.

Seth Gould
Demo: Nunome zogan, a decorative overlay technique used to add ornamentation to a metal object. 

Anna Koplik (who just finished teaching an 8-week Penland concentration)
Demo: forging on a small scale.

Will Manning
Demo:Processing and laminating rusted pitted old metal to create beautiful new materials.

Volunteers: So many!

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible and wonderful. Next year’s Fire on the Mountain Festival will take place on April 25th and 26th. See you then!