THE ART OF THE BLACKSMITH

A Special Focus Weekend Celebrating the Blacksmith
Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd August 2008
 at
the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum

England’s leading museum of historic buildings and traditional rural life will be celebrating the ‘Art of the Blacksmith’ during a special focus weekend from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd August 2008. The weekend will centre around the British Artist Blacksmith Association (BABA) Annual General Meeting which is being hosted for the first time by the Museum, and is sure to prove popular with visitors with an interest in the skills of blacksmithing, skilled workmanship, or art and design.

The ‘Art of the Blacksmith’ will feature an exciting display of forge work and artistic creation by scores of the finest craftsmen and women in action today. Throughout the weekend, visitors will be able to watch BABA members working on a series of specially commissioned pieces for the Museum: these will be trail markers intended to signpost a woodland trail around the Museum site. The markers will be of a similar basic design, but each one will reflect the skills and creativity of the individual blacksmith. There are likely to be over 30 forges operating at any one time. In addition, there will be a few specialist trade stands to browse and buy with goods and gifts allied to the blacksmith theme, and the Museum’s woodland charcoal burner will be in action, producing charcoal in the traditional manner.

The ‘Art of the Blacksmith’ runs alongside an exhibition of contemporary blacksmiths’ work supported by BABA, which will be held at the Museum from July 23rd until 3rd August. The exhibition will feature an exciting collection of artefacts and designs displaying fine workmanship by local and national members of BABA. All of the pieces, some of which will be from the national collection, will be on show daily during normal Museum opening hours in the Jerwood Downland Gridshell Space.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The award-winning Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has over 45 historic building exhibits and is designated by the Government for the outstanding importance of its collections. Exhibits include a medieval farmstead; a working watermill producing wholemeal stoneground flour; exhibitions focusing on traditional building techniques and agriculture; historic gardens, farm livestock and a working Tudor kitchen. The Museum runs a well-established programme of courses in building conservation and rural crafts.  There is a café which uses the Museum’s own flour and a shop with gifts and books on countryside and buildings themes.  The modern Downland Gridshell houses the Museum’s building conservation centre and artefact collection. There is a daily tour at 1.30pm when the Museum is open, and an appointments system for visits to the collections for research purposes.

NOTE TO EDITORS

Reporters and photographers are welcome at the Museum. For further information call the Museum information line on 01243 811348 or contact Cathy Clark, Marketing Officer

Tel: 01243 811014.
Fax: 01243 811475
Email: marketing@wealddown.co.uk.

Full details about the Museum and its activities can be found at www.wealddown.co.uk 

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