[Visionaries in Craft] The Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths
[Visionaries in Craft] The Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths
Photo by Michelle Smith-Lewis.
Conceived in 2018 by a group of 11 female-identified and nonbinary blacksmiths (above) collaborating on a project at the Cascadia Center for Arts and Crafts in Oregon, SIBs supports, encourages, and uplifts female, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and other smiths from groups historically underrepresented in the field. It provides funding through scholarships and grants, runs an online mentoring program, advertises positive and safe classes, and hosts a digital forum for sharing stories and community support.
“We’re also partnering with schools and organizations that are aligned with our mission, so we can expand the reach of what we can do,” says Joy Fire, SIBs’s digital media and general communications manager.
The five people who constitute the governance committee for SIBs—Fire, Lisa Geertsen, Rachel David, Anne Bujold, and Elizabeth Belz—are all working smiths, teachers, and even students themselves.
SIB's logo stickers printed for their 2021 end-of-year fundraiser. Photo by Elizabeth Belz.
It can be hard to find time to run a national organization, says Fire, but the work is profoundly gratifying. “We can see direct and concrete results of our work when folks are able to take classes, buy tools and material, and are otherwise supported in a way that enables them to continue to forge.”
inclusiveblacksmiths.com | @inclusive_blacksmiths
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