Equal Temperament
Equal Temperament highlights the multifaceted nature of modern metalworking in a juried art show, accompanied by a variety of interpretive programming to showcase metal’s links with other artistic and historical forms. The show invites artists to submit works inspired by or including metalworking or forging that safely fit within a USPS Flat Rate Shipping Box. The works will be juried by an independent panel and showcased at the Kentucky Museum during a 10-month exhibition from July 2025 to April 2026.
Five awards will be given, named in recognition of the field's historical innovations:
- Kentucky Museum Purchase Award, $600
- Ulfberht Award for the most puzzling work, $250
- Masamune Award for the most intricate work, $250
- Yellin Award for the most functional work, $250
- Brim Award for the most humorous or fantasy-like work, $250
Important Dates:
May 1, 2025 - Works must be postmarked and sent to Kentucky Museum.
Mid-July 2025 - Exhibition opens to the public.
October 11, 2025 - Hammer-In weekend and Exhibition Awards Reception.
Recommended hotels near the Kentucky Museum / WKU are detailed here.
April 2026 - Exhibition closes. Works will be returned to the artists via USPS Flat Rate Shipping.
Programs and Events
From August 2025 to April 2026, a variety of programs will explore metalworking's roots in the home forge and its links to other artistic and scientific forms. Notably, inspired by the "anvil's ring," we are partnering with the WKU Department of Music to present programs that explore how the sounds of metalworking have and continue to inspire composers and musicians.
October 2025 - Hammer-In
- Friday - Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony for Equal Temperament
- Saturday - Hammer-In at the Kentucky Museum, open to the public
- Demonstrations by members of the Kentucky Forge Council, Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths, and WKU League of Sculptors, with special guests to be announced.
- Aluminum Pour with DIY scratch blocks, with proceeds benefiting the WKU League of Sculptors.
- Kentucky Folklife Program Narrative Stage with interviews of our featured demonstrator(s) about metalworking traditions and innovations.
- Beginner's workshop on forge and flame.
- "Sounds of the Forge," a musical performance of historical songs related to blacksmithing and sounds heard in blacksmith shops, performed by Dr. Liza Kelly and WKU's student vocal groups.
- Local food trucks.
- And more!
Stay tuned for future program announcements.
Why Metalworking?
Metalworking is one of the oldest professions and artistic mediums in the world. Begun at least 3,000 years ago, when the Hittites of Anatolia began smelting iron, metalworking - and the profession of blacksmithing - continued as an integral part of human culture. Smiths created the everyday and extraordinary: from nails to hold homes and carts together, to the masterpieces of Renaissance cathedrals and modern sculptures.
Today, blacksmithing remains an integral part of Kentuckians’ lives – represented both in the home forge of independent smiths and local councils as well as the metal industries based in aluminum, copper, and steel that are growing the Commonwealth's economic prosperity. According to Kentucky’s Cabinet for Economic Development, since 2017, aluminum companies alone have provided over 90 new or expansion projects totaling $2.7 billion in investment in the state – and the now over 180 facilities provide 21,000 full-time jobs for Kentuckians.
Yet metalworking is also a creative outlet, providing a blend of economic impact and creative freedom not often seen in other fields. In September 2023, the New York Times published “Blacksmithing is alive and well in Kentucky,” which detailed this trend, profiling Kentuckian Craig Kaviar whose “functional art” of forged handrails was recently utilized by Crab Orchard Animal Sanctuary as well as featured on the HGTV show “Modern Masters” and at the World’s Fair in Japan.
Locally, the Kentucky Forge Council (KFC) has blacksmiths like Kaviar – employed by metalworking industry firms but also utilizing home forges to create metal and forge-inspired art seen throughout Southcentral Kentucky. More importantly, the KFC recently partnered with the Society for Inclusive Blacksmiths (SIBs) during an annual Hammer-In at the Kentucky Museum to showcase the increasing participation of women, people of color, and LGBT+ persons in blacksmithing. The opportunities for these artists in the field are growing, and Equal Temperament a nation-wide opportunity to shine a spotlight on this growing – yet historically and artistically rich – field.
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