opportunities to apprentice

We love sharing what we know at Smithworks Iron & Design, and there’s something for everyone. Elementary kids at Sope Creek Pioneer Day get to see a demonstration of blacksmithing every year, and middle school Waldorf kids get to try it out for themselves. High school kids get the opportunity to have semester long work study engagements, and adults get to learn through classes and apprenticeship opportunities we provide. The act of manipulating metal into imagined shapes and forms is alluring to all, and we get excited for every chance we have to share our love of the practice. Here are a couple makers we have been able to share it with recently.

Olympia is an artist who is returning to studio/shop work after spending several years working in office management. She received 8 weeks of training in welding through Goodwill’s training program in hopes to access a career path that would provide the stability of an office job while also serving her passion for doing creative work. Olympia got to apprentice at Smithworks for a couple weeks in between finishing her training with Goodwill and starting at a new place of employment.

HJ completed a 6 month apprenticeship at Smithworks before officially joining the team. They spent two days a week learning and practicing a variety of blacksmithing and metal fabrication skills, learning from mentors who all contributed different approaches and areas of expertise to HJ’s development. The confidence that they gained from seeing a project come together from initial design concept to a fully finished piece was an important part of HJ’s apprenticeship experience.

You can donate to our nonprofit Tradeswork Arts Foundation to help us expand the education opportunties we are able to provide.