SPRING CONFERENCE 2020
"Beginner to Artist"
Joe Koches Memorial Conference
DATE: April 30- May 2, 2020
LOCATION: Victorian Village of Ferndale, CA
FLYER: SC2010 flyer.pdf
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Conference Fees
Schedule And Site Map
Getting There And Lodging
Dedication
Demonstrators
Education / Hands On
ONLINE REGISTRATION:
On-line registration opens January 15, 2020.
On-line registration closes Friday, 4/24, at 11:59 PM.
Early registration closes Friday, 4/3, at 11:59 PM.
View Bigger Picture
MAIL-IN REGISTRATION FORM: Coming soon.
For questions contact Craig Litwin at (707) 634-6132 or secretary@calsmith.org
CONTACT & GENERAL CHAIRMAN: Conference co-chairmen are Paul Boulay and Mike Bondi.
SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, 27 April – 3 PM – 6 PM Pre Conference Registration Check-in.
(Note: Unless you are a staff member for this conference, please keep out of the main fairgrounds area before 3 PM on Wednesday. We will be setting everything up with forklift traffic and other potentially hazardous situations.)
Thursday 28 April – 8 AM Conference opens
Saturday 2 May – 10 PM Conference closes
See full schedule document: 2020 Spring Conference Schedule
SITE MAP:
Pdf version: Site-map.pdf
CONFERENCE FEES:
| Conference Fees |
Before April 3, 2020
|
After April 3, 2020 |
| Full Conference |
$229 |
$255 |
| Single Day |
$125 |
$135 |
| Saturday Banquet Dinner Ticket |
$27 |
$27 |
| |
|
|
Members with a Family Membership can register up to two additional family members as conference participants at half price. Individuals registered as guests must be listed on your CBA family membership and be part of the same household. For larger families please contact Craig Litwin at 707/634-6132 or secretary@calsmith.org.
Members with Business Membership can sign up unlimited number of business associates at full price.
Members of ABANA or ABANA-affiliated blacksmith organizations who want to attend Spring Conference 2019 need to purchase Event Only Temporary membership prior to registering for the event. Get Event Only Temporary membership.
Non-participating attendees - family members and friends - free.
MEAL PLANS:
You will be able to choose the following meal plans during the registration process. Option to purchase the meal plans after the registration is complete for members as well as for non members will be available soon.
*Meal plans can only be purchased until April 15.
Full Conference meal plans include Breakfast Buffet, Box Lunches, and Dinner on Friday and the Saturday Banquet. No breakfast plans omit the breakfast buffet for those staying in hotels or B&Bs that provide breakfast. On Thursday night, there will be a reception at the Blacksmith Shop Gallery in town.
Full Conference Plans (Include Sat Banquet)
|
Total Price
|
Full - Start Thursday
|
$135 |
Full - Start Friday
|
$106 |
Full - Start Saturday
|
$56 |
No Breakfast Plans (Include Sat Banquet)
|
Total Price
|
No-Bfst - Start Thursday
|
$92 |
| No-Bfst - Start Friday |
$77 |
| No-Bfst - Start Saturday |
$41 |
*All Meal Plans Include Saturday Banquet
Saturday Banquet Only
|
$27 |
GETTING THERE:
Highway 101 to Fernbridge then turn onto CA-211, which becomes Main Street Ferndale.
Flights into the Ferndale area arrive at the California Redwood Coast – Humboldt County – Arcata-Eureka (ACV) airport. United flies direct to ACV from Denver (DEN), Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO). Shuttles are available from ACV to The Bear River Casino and Ferndale hotels.
LODGING OPTIONS:
**Note that the special CBA rates are only available until Feb. 1st.
Bear River Casino, 11 Bear Paws Way, Loleta CA. Call (800) 761-2327 or (707) 733-9644 and press 2. (bearrivercasino.com).
The Victorian Inn (victorianvillageinn.com 707-786-4949)is Ferndale’s premier hotel. Many of the conference demonstrators will stay there. A room block has been arranged with favorable pricing – be sure to call directly and say that you are booking for the “CBA Blacksmith group.” All room rates include a full breakfast.
Redwood Suites (redwoodsuites.com 707-786-5000) is a more contemporary property with lower prices than the Victorian Inn. It is just across the street from the VI, and all rooms include full breakfast at the VI Restaurant. Same room block reservation as at the VI; ask for the “CBA Blacksmith group” rate.
There are many other beautiful and historic sites open as Bed and Breakfast lodging.
There are also well-known hotel options in Fortuna with Best Western and Travel Lodge.
RV AND CAMPING RESERVATIONS:
The fairground has up to 70 spaces for RVs. These are also used as car/tent campsites. There are restrooms with showers both in the RV area and in the overflow camping area along Van Ness Ave.
RV camping with water and power hookup: $28 / night
Car / tent camping without hookups: $12/night.
Arrange these spaces with the Fairgrounds office (707) 786-9511.
See https://www.humboldtcountyfair.org/rv-park. That includes rules for campers.
DESCRIPTION
Dedication
We dedicate this conference to the memory of Joe Koches. Joe proposed this conference at the Placerville board meeting in 2018. He and Michael Bondi worked for many months to secure the first-rate program of demonstrators at this conference. Sadly, Joe did not live to see it happen. But we will do our best to carry out his vision.
Theme / Program Overview
The theme Joe selected is “Beginner to Artist,” and we carry that out by serving beginners and intermediate smiths in the large Education area and the more advanced with 5 of the best contemporary artist blacksmiths working in the world. Because of the tremendous portfolio of works each of these smiths will have to show, we have dedicated our Lunchtime to their slide shows.
There are two gallery spaces at this conference. As always, we will have the CBA conference gallery at the fairgrounds, and members are encouraged to show off their best work. This time we also have Joe Koches' extensive Blacksmith Shop gallery with works by E.A.Chase, Joe Anderson, Toby Hickman, Monica Coyne, Jake James, Doug Pryor, and many more.
This conference is truly the place to be for smithing education and inspiration in 2020.
Claudio Bottero
Italy
CLAUDIO BOTTERO - BIOGRAPHY
Claudio Bottero was born in Torreselle, a village near Piombino Dese, in the province of Padua, the 10th March 1957, where he still lives and works.
Since he was a child he started his training at his father’s workshop, as his father was also a blacksmith. It is in this place that his great passion for the iron forge works born and where he started learning the iron work methods.
Since 1994 he has been employing trainees from various countries for a period of time. According to two Czech blacksmith, who worked by him, “when you work for Claudio, roller-skates grow to your feet”.
From 2000 Claudio has enlarged his views in the iron world, taking part for the first time to an American manifestation, the ABANA Conference in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 2009 the CBA has invited him to Petaluma,California, in order to create a sculpture, named “Casanova”. In 2011 he has participated at the CBA demonstration by Michael Bondi's workshop where one of his latest sculptures, "Diomeda", born.
He has not only participated in various art exhibitions and conferences, he also has been invited in three exhibitions dedicated to him; the first time in 2000 in Asolo, in 2003 in Treviso, both cities in the region Veneto, and finally in2010 in Brussels’ private gallery. In 2011 another exhibition took place at Tour Madou, seat of the European Commission, with the works of five masters who performed in Helfstyn (Czech Republic).The same year, in December, some of his bowls were exposed at the International Contemporary Art and Design at Habermann Gallery in Ybbsitz (Austria).
In June 2011 Claudio were invited by Penland School of Crafts (North Carolina) to held a summer session course. The main product of this course, created with his students, along with "Icarus", another sculpture originally made for Penland's Annual Benefit Auction, are now located at the Metal Museum in Memphis (Tennessee).
Pavel Tasovský
Náměšť nad Oslavou, Czech Republic
He graduated from the School of Artistic Craftsmanship in Prague. During 1998 – 99, he attended and graduated from the Master’s School of Artistic Craftsmanship in Prague with the graduation work Hamounovo křeslo (Hamoun’s Easy Chair).
The main focus of the blacksmith's studio is the realization of orders for historical buildings, but also for contemporary architecture. Most realizations are made according to own proposals after consultation with architects. Many graduates of art schools pass through our workshop. Years of practice and they establish their own workshops.
Since 2003 he has been organizing the exhibition MEETING together with the castellan of the chateau Marek Buš in the chateau, chateau park and Gallery 12.
In 2010 he receives an invitation as a demonstrator from Europe to Blacksmiths Conference in California, where he shows his blacksmith art. Here he, his son and colleague create kinetic sculpture called NO.
In 2011 he is invited as a member of expert committee to the Italian city of STIA, where he evaluates exhibited blacksmith works.
In 2016 - 2018 he and his son are the lecturers of the three-year blacksmithing school in Brussels, School for Conservation craft. The main initiator of this school is the royal family.
Christoph Fredrich
Switzerland
Manager/Owner of the historic water powered Blacksmith workshop in Sennwald, Switzerland, including restoration, revival and operation of the Workshop.
Since 2005 Activities in the blacksmith shop reduced, main activity: elected Head of School authorities of the local shire.
Since 1982
Demonstrator in international Blacksmith-meetings in USA / England / Finland /Germany /Korea/Canada
Managing the workshop: „artmetal“ in Seoul South Korea,
Course instructor for jewellery and traditional tools at Craft School Pennland USA,
Managing workshop on Southern Illinois University Carbondale USA,
Workshop in Santa Fe, at Helmut Hillenkamp
Basic ideas for the design of my work
The fascination of changing the volume through forging, has fascinated and challenged me throughout my whole life.
"The form" is never finally invented and the search is unstoppable. With the conviction that the material shows limits to my design, I try to respect this and to show it in the design. The possible hot deformation of the iron allows me to do justice to the material. I strive to make the Zeitgeist visible through honesty in the design and application of the technique.
honest, clear, unfussy, visible, tactile, connected, grounded
Peter Braspenninx
Michigan
Pete Braspenninx, owner of Phyre Forge, is a graduate of the University of Michigan school of art and design. (2004) He is an artist, blacksmith, and educator. His work has been shown, collected, and published nationally and internationally. His work focuses primarily on building shape and line through visual connections and joinery using traditional skills to make modern forms.He also does architectural iron work along with sculptural work.
Monica Coyne
Redway, CA
I start with a piece of cold hard steel. Using a forge, I heat the bar to 2000 degrees. Yellow-hot steel moves like clay. I cannot touch the material, so I use tools such as tongs, hammers, fullers and chisels that I have also shaped out of steel. By understanding ancient processes, I push toward something new. We are controlled by our perceptions. My work has always been an experiment in altering my own perception of what a bar of steel represents. I formed the hot steel and as it cooled, I would catch a glimpse of stretching skin. When the pressure of 
the drift expanded the hole, I could see fat swelling into a breast. My figures are shaped from the perfectly dimensioned bar that comes from one of our most historically important industries. Innovation and depredation have propelled us forward as a species, but our greatest and most terrifying strength is the ability to talk each other into things. Coming out of and flowing into the original stock, these figures tell your mind to see a person. But the person is also a piece of steel connected just as we are to our own complicity in the fallout of our ingenuity.
Monica’s architectural and sculptural work has been commissioned and collected by galleries and private individuals. She has been featured in many publications including, Elementum Journal (UK), Fine Homebuilding Magazine (USA), HEPHAISTOS(Germany), The Anvil’s Ring (USA), and NOMMA(USA). She has been a featured demonstrator for the Artist Blacksmith Association of North America, The California Blacksmith Association, The Colorado Metal Smiths Association and many others. She was the 2018 recipient of the Victor Thomas Jacoby Award for excellence in art. Monica’s work has been featured at numerous galleries and museums including an upcoming solo show at the Metal Museum, Memphis Tennessee, July- September 2019.
EDUCATION
Education Area:
Main education area
Mark Aspery
Dan Perkins
Victoria Ritter
Steve Taylor
Youth section
Miguel de los Rios
Zander Nichols to do a youth-only workshop on forging knife blades.
Hands-On Interactive Coaching
Forge welding
Punching and drifting
Toolmaking
Contests
Chain forging competition – details will be provided. Chain_and_repair_links.pdf is an extensive tutorial on chain making and related subjects.
In preparation for the conference, make a bottle opener or a corkscrew for the Open-it-with-Art competition. This was one of Joe’s favorites. Combine a functional object with an artistic treatment to make it special. Details will be provded.
If you bring your own forge and anvil set-up - you’re assured of a place in the education area.
GALLERY AND AUCTION
The CBA members gallery will be in the “Art Building” at the fairgrounds. You are encouraged to bring your best work to be displayed. (Items must fit through standard pedestrian access double doors to go inside the building.) The gallery accepts artwork to be displayed starting Thursday at 9 am. Doors are open for gallery viewing starting at noon Thursday and will be open from 9 am to 6 pm except Saturday when the gallery closes at 4:30 pm to prepare for the banquet. The gallery sponsors a Viewers Choice poll; we announce the results at the conference banquet on Saturday night. Viewer's choice balloting is open Saturday from 9 am until 3:00 pm.
Exhibitors must arrange to pick up their artwork on Saturday between 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm with the last chance pickup opportunity on Sunday from 8 am to 10:30 am. Works left after that time will be considered abandoned.
IRON IN THE HAT
VENDORS
TAILGATE SALES
Things to see and do in and around Ferndale
The Victorian Village of Ferndale (visitferndale.com) – Beautifully preserved homes and buildings. Don’t miss the Mercantile (at 421 Main St.) and of course, The Blacksmith Shop (at 455 Main St.)
The Loleta Cheese Factory, 252 Loleta Drive, Loleta, CA 95551 (http://www.artisancheesefactory.com/#artisan-cheese-factory)
Centerville Beach -- This beautiful sandy beach is about 5 miles west of Ferndale.
Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park also the Redwood National Park.
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
The Kinetic Museum Eureka (http://kineticgrandchampionship.com/kinetic-museum-eureka) 518 A Street (A Street Between 5th and 6th), Eureka, CA 95501, 707-786-3443. Joe was involved in this craziness for some years.
Lost Coast Brewery - 1600 Sunset Dr. Eureka, California 95503 (707) 267-9651 (https://www.lostcoast.com)
Weather to expect
The weather at the beginning of May in Ferndale is cold to cool with lows typically 44 to 50 F and highs between 54 and 58 F. Mornings are typically cloudy with partly cloudy conditions in the afternoon. The probability of precipitation is 21% on any day, but if there is rain, it will likely be very light.
Sunrise is about 6:15 AM and sunset at about 8:10 PM.
Winds tend to be light and mostly from the north or northwest. The windiest time of the day tends to be mid-afternoon when the average wind speed is 11 MPH and rarely over 18 MPH.
The Pacific Ocean average temperature is 52 F near Ferndale on May 1.
From weatherspark.com
