Over 20 years of experience.
JOSHUA SWALEC
Artist Blacksmith
Joshua Swalec has 21 years experience in blacksmithing, welding, metal fabrication, project management, landscape design and construction. His qualifications and experience are as follows:
Graduate of Worcester Vocational Technical High School: study of all welding processes, mechanical drawing, and certified in stick metal arc welding of mild steel in all positions 1998
Beginner’s Blacksmithing course: Touchstone School of Crafts 1998
Jewelry making I and II: Worcester Center for Crafts 1999-2000
Various blacksmithing and bladesmithing courses at the New England School of Metalwork, including the ABS accredited Intro to Bladesmithing 2015 -2018
http://www.newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com/Active member of the Artist Blacksmith Association of North America (ABANA), American Bladesmith Society (ABS), and New England Blacksmiths (NEB)
https://abana.org/Currently working towards Journeyman Smith rating with the American Bladesmith Society. I have successfully passed the performance test and I am currently working on my set of 5 presentation knives. Details about this process can be found here:
http://www.americanbladesmith.com/uploads/file/Testing/JS%20Test%20FINAL%204-24-2010.pdfPart time faculty member in the Metals Department at The Worcester Center for Crafts, teaching blacksmithing and bladesmithing, 2015 to present
https://www.worcester.edu/wcc/Head blacksmith and instructor at The Worcshop makerspace, 2016 to present
https://www.theworcshop.com/Awarded Massachusetts Cultural Coalition grant for public art in partnership with the Higgins Armory Museum
Fitchburg Forge-In (regional blacksmithing competition)
Intermediate division champion 2007
Professional division champion 2008 and 2010
1st Place- Decorative Trellis Panel 2009