Demonstrator - Blacksmith Mark Aspery
Mark Aspery began to forge metal in a high school metalwork room in the UK in 1974. He was fascinated by the ability to shape metals with heat so after high school he started as a blacksmith with Charles Watts and Sons in the UK. During that time, Mark dabbled in natural forms while continuing with traditional designs. He came to develop his own style, which is one of a semi-literal, flowing representation of the natural world. He prefers to use traditional methods of joinery in his work, as the design allows. Mark is now a European journeyman blacksmith, currently an Associate of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths (AWCB), established in the United Kingdom in 1325 by Edward II as a blacksmiths guild. Mark currently owns and operates the Mark Aspery School of Blacksmithing based in Springville, CA. The school started in 2000 and runs 14 weeks a year.
Demonstrator - Blacksmith Glenn Horr
Glenn Horr has been creating hand-forged metalwork since 1977. Glenn's interest in metals and forging began in a high school shop class. He took his first blacksmithing class through the Pioneer Crafts Council at Mill Run, PA, and has taught workshops at Touchstone Center for Crafts each summer for the past twenty years. He has also shared his techniques through several conference demonstrations in the region. He is primarily self-taught and continues to add to his repertoire of skills by attending workshops and regional and national blacksmithing conferences. Using traditional techniques, Glenn creates functional and decorative work in steel as well as copper, brass, bronze and aluminum. Glenn creates a wide range of hardware for homes--anything from fireplace equipment to door hardware and railings, gates, to fine kitchen utensils. He also enjoys working with individuals, designers, and architects on special commissions, including new concepts and renovations.
Brass Casting - Walter VanAlstine
Walter was born New York State, but moved to Germany after World War II. Walter has fond childhood memories of waking up to the sounds of the blacksmith shop across the street. He came to Maryland in 1953. In the 1970’s, in his efforts to melt and cast aluminum, he acquired the equipment to forge iron. He relied on old books to discover the mysteries of blacksmithing. He attended his first meeting of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland almost 20 years ago, and Walter hasn’t missed a guild meeting since then. As the guild’s forge master, Walter quickly and enthusiastically involves new members in blacksmithing. Walter and his son, Bucky, operate the Dutch Forge and teach the BGCM Basic Knife Making Class.
Iron Kiss Hammer - John Larson
John has been manufacturing air hammers since 1996. John is also forge master and demonstrates blacksmithing at Jerusalem Mills a satellite forge of BGCM. In addition to manufacturing hammers, he does welding and fabrication. This is a second career for John, after retiring from being a Professor of Economics at Loyola College in Baltimore. John has been blacksmithing for about 12 years and has been a welder, fabricator, and machinist of hot rods since high school. John has vivid memories of visiting village blacksmith shops with his dad in the 1950s in rural Minnesota. John says his biggest passion is to make the best air hammer on the planet.
Ferenc Gregor, a first generation Hungarian-American, residing in Maryland, began carving in 1987, utilizing natural materials, such as wood, horn, fossil ivories, and stone. He is self taught using both old and new technique in various mediums and styles. Ferenc focuses on projects in natural stone, utilizing the transition of small scale detail to large stone works. He became popular for his ability to execute minute detail carving seldom seen in the industry today and has completed hundreds of works in various medium for government, private, and commercial applications, and his award winning works are valued by collectors worldwide.
Repoussé - Kerry Stagmer
Kerry Stagmer has been making knives, swords, and armor more than twenty years. Kerry developed a simple, resilient, attractive blade that is the basis of all swords he produces. Baltimore Knife and Sword has evolved to include armor, sculpture, and sterling, gold, and platinum jewelry inspired by that found in Renaissance portraiture. Kerry's carefully researched work has appeared in many venues: in movies, performances at Renaissance festivals and theatres all over the United States. His hand-chased jewelry pieces take an average of thirty hours to complete and chase. His raised and repousséd work is even more intensive. Increasing awareness among both artists and the general public of these dying art forms has become the focus of much of his time in