Blacksmithing: Sculptural Forms

with Natalie Murray
SCULPTURE 672 001 | 3 credits | $250 Lab Fee
June 15–28, 2025

This intensive will start with the fundamental techniques of forging, and move quickly into more advanced projects. We will focus on the processes of moving material while hot, and the forge and anvil will be the primary tools of achieving form. As a corollary, the history of forged ironwork (architectural, tools, and sculpture) will serve as a source of inspiration. Each student will also be encouraged to make an inflated sheet metal sculpture.

Natalie Murray (she/her) is a sculptor and fabricator with a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her time and talents have taken her from her Midwestern roots all the way to the largest women’s university in the world in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; building some of their first maker-space facilities. She is back in Chicago currently working in large-scale, custom metal fabrication serving a variety of different industries around the globe that include: rail, airlines, construction, aerospace, energy, infrastructure, art, and many more. Beyond manufacturing and collegiate instruction, she teaches welding classes, including the 'Women in Welding' course at the Arc Academy.

Natalie Murray, Bookends, 2015, forged steel, rust, and acrylic paint, 13 x 10 x 2 in.