Forged Napkin Rings with Aidan Rhoades

Learn how to work with hot steel while making a set of your very own (or girftable!) steel napkin rings! 4-Hour Workshop Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026 Time: 1pm-5pm Description: Students will learn the fundamentals of ornamental blacksmithing, applying decorative twists, tapers, and scrolls to their their very own set of napkin rings! We will walk through all of the steps to make forged work starting with design, to planning forging sequences, all the way to a finished piece ready to be set out on the table. Some stamina for repetive hammer swinging is required. No previous blacksmithing experience required – just come ready to work with hot metal and get creative! Tuition: $90+ $25 materials fee Materials: All studio materials are included* *This workshop is in an open air studio, we recommend bringing a coat to keep warm before the forges get fired up! Students should wear natural fibers such as cotton and denim. Uncuffed pants and closed-toe shoes are required (no shorts or sandals permitted). Long hair should be restrained. Safety glasses and hearing protection are provided; however, participants may bring their own if preferred. We recommend bringing a water bottle to stay hydrated. We really want you to join us in the studio! Full and partial tuition scholarships are available to offset some of the financial burden of attending a class. Please fill out the application here; you can expect to hear from someone on the CC staff within 2 weeks. Location: Contemporary Craft – Timmons Studios (5688 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201) Cancellations and Refunds: Workshop cancellations are decided three business days before the start date. If workshops must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class fee will be refunded through Eventbrite, or you may leave your workshop fee in your Contemporary Craft account for future workshops. Refund Policy: Student refund requests must be made at least three business days before a class begins. There will be a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds will be given without three-business days notice. Processing of refunds takes approximately three weeks. If you require accessibility accommodations, please let us know by calling 412.261.7003 and we are happy to assist you. About the Artist Aidan Rhoades is a blacksmith and woodworker. who recently completed their MFA at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where they served as the Contemporary Craft Fellow, helping to develop the Blacksmithing degree program and studio. They have taught a workshop at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, and participated in artist residencies at the Center for Metal Arts in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Penland School of Craft in Bakersville, North Carolina. In fall 2026, Aidan will serve as the National Artist in Residence for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They will be featured in the upcoming ABANA National Conference with the Future of Blacksmithing demonstrator group.