December 2, 2024 - December 31, 2024

The Blue Hill Public Library will host an exhibit, Iron Artistry, featuring creative works in iron and steel by Deer Isle blacksmiths Doug Wilson and two of his students, Tom Kellogg and Herman Kidder during December and January in the library’s Howard Room Glass Cases. There will be a variety of objects on display including decorative sconces, examples of railings, knives, small metal creatures, and examples of knot work in steel.

A nationally-known blacksmith, Doug Wilson was awarded the Maine Crafts Association Master Artist award in 2020. He made metalworking his career, and has taught more than 100 workshops on design and forge practices for schools, colleges, universities and blacksmithing organizations, including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Penland School of Crafts, Colby College, and Massachusetts College of Art. He has also been a featured speaker at many conferences across North America and internationally. Doug is the subject of a documentary film that will air on PBS as part of its forthcoming series, America Made with Love. His forge and display room are located on Little Deer Isle, ME.

About his work, Doug says, “Although much of the work I design and produce is contemporary in design, most all is deeply rooted in traditional techniques. My work is based on working with fire, hammer, and anvil: ancient processes of hot forging iron and steel. Thus, the work is invested with a strong visual character of joinery details and surface features impossible to produce by any other methods.”

Tom Kellogg is a retired geologist from the University of Maine School of Earth and Climate Sciences. He developed a long-term interest in knotting as a bosun’s mate in the US Coast Guard in the 1960’s, and after retiring to Deer Isle in 2008, he studied blacksmithing with Doug, focusing on artistic and functional knots (which may serve as latches or buckles) in iron and steel. His forge is on Deer Isle, Me.

Herman Kidder is a retired Naval Audiology Officer.  He studied with Doug at Haystack over twenty years ago, “catching the blacksmith bug,” as he calls it.  He makes knives and decorative animals from repurposed steel and flatware. His gallery is part of the Frederica Marshall Creative Renewal Center on Deer Isle.

The show will be available for viewing during library hours starting December 2, subject to the Howard Room meeting schedule.  A portion of sales will benefit the library.