The focus of our Forged Architectural Ironwork program is centered on creating the academic environment necessary to produce multidimensional educated artisans. In order to provide this unique educational experience our students complete an intensive, integrated liberal arts curriculum. This curriculum has been developed in such a way that all courses, both academic and artistry, build upon each other and missing any portion of the curriculum provides an incomplete education. This integrated approach creates a highly focused learning environment which students find both challenging and rewarding.

Metal has been used for many purposes -- from satisfying the basic artistic need to create objects of beauty to the forging of weapons to hunt, to protect and to defend. The contemporary artisans who work metal still use many of the same methods and tools that have been developed over several centuries. Even though modern techniques and tools have made the process of working metal easier by increasing precision and productivity, it still takes commitment and skill to succeed. A metal artisan may work in a variety of materials such as iron, steel, or bronze; many specialize in one or two. They are all manipulators of shape and form. Wrought ornamental iron, gates, fences, balconies, railings and many other built-in decorative elements are increasingly common in today’s contemporary homes and public spaces. A skilled metal artisan is able to forge, join, and weld material to create unique objects of utility and beauty that enhance their architectural surroundings. The “apprenticeship” requires a full training program centered on theory, drawing and manual practice.

Forged architectural ironwork is an artistic, yet demanding occupation. Bending, lifting and hammering are repeated many times during the work day. Designs created in the studio are realized in the often hot environment of the shop. While the majority of the working day is spent inside in a shop or studio, many projects require extensive on-site inspection and installation.

All college preparatory courses are desirable (see College Catalog), as are courses in art, carpentry, shop and mechanical drawing. Manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination and physical fitness are important.

Forged architectural ironwork is a specialized field of its own that is allied to many others, including general blacksmith work, welding and fabrication. Other related occupations might include boiler and plate work, sheet metal work or metal sculpting/casting.

The forged architectural ironwork curriculum consists of eight semesters that will prepare students for a career as a specialist in the field. The course is designed to give a broad overview of the skills required.

The curriculum is designed with two distinct stages. During the first two years students develop the basic hand skills of the trade: skills of the forge, skills of the bench and drawing skills. Upon completion they will receive an Associates degree and be able to competently begin working in an established shop. Students who choose and are selected to continue into the Bachelors program will complete two more years of intensive training -- honing their practical skills and expanding techniques into those of the modern shop, including modern fabrication techniques, gas forges and power hammers. They will advance their study into theoretical and design aspects of the industry, restoration work and business management. Students finishing the full four year curriculum will receive the education and foundational skills needed to become a business owner and successful artisan.

The student who applies for this course should have a high level of practical skills. Their background should include a determination to succeed. It is an exciting area of study, requiring and further developing creativity which will help push the traditions of ironworking into the future.

An emphasis throughout this curriculum will be on workshops, where repetition will lay the foundation for high skill levels. Initially the courses will focus on hand skills/techniques for working metal and the theoretical knowledge needed to apply them. While the emphasis is explicitly on traditional/historical approaches to the material, these skills can be the foundation for the development of a personal style and more elaborate designs. During the third and fourth years, the challenges become more sophisticated and larger scale, including curved balcony and stair railings. Historical approaches are melded with those of the modern workshop in an astute blend. Issues of design from both a practical and aesthetic point of view are brought to the fore. This two phase approach will leave students with a solid background, preparing them for the rigors of working as a commercial practitioner/artisan.

Areas of study within the course include: craft and architecture history, drawing, design and geometry, English, decorative metalwork, information technology, forging, general metal work, management and professional practice, math, modern fabrication, restoration, and welding. Classes in many of these subjects may be complemented by lectures and instruction from master artisans brought in to teach specific specialties.