Rocky Mountain Blacksmithing
Conference 2026
Demonstrators
Gabriel Craig
Lisa Geertsen
Dates and Times
June 24, 2026 – Wednesday – 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm
June 25, 2026 – Thursday – 8:00 am to 10:00 pm
June 26, 2026 – Friday – 8:00 am to 10:00 pm
June 27, 2026 – Saturday- 8:00 am to 10:00 pm
June 28, 2026 – Sunday – 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
Schedule
Registration
Cost
$ 150.00 before May 26, 2026
$ 160.00 after May 26, 2026
Meals
Meals – BYOM potluck (We will have BBQ grills to cook on and tables to eat at )
Local restaurants are within a 10-minute drive of the site ( please carpool to limit the number of cars in and out).
Breakfast burritos – pre-order with registration.
Scholarships
We have a few student grants available for people less than 18 years of age.
Location
Stuart’s Shirley Shop
Broomfield CO
Directions
For the address see the registration site.
Overnight Accommodations
Space is available for overnight camping with tents or recreational vehicles.
No hook-ups provided.
Campers can arrive after noon on Wednesday June 24, 2026.
Hotels
There are many hotels in the Broomfield, Colorado area
Safety
Please wear safety glasses and hearing protection in the forge.
T-Shirt Contest
Time for the 2026 Conference logo T-shirt contest.
Due Date: May 10, 2026
The rules are:
- Designs must be your original artwork
- It should have the date and Rocky Mountain Blacksmithing Conference
- It should have the dates; June 24th – 27th, and Broomfield Colorado
- The winner gets a free t-shirt and bumper sticker
Submit to:
Scott Kretschmer
196 Mule Deer Dr
Loveland, CO 80537
Email: president@rockymountainsmiths.org
Demonstrators Biography
Gabriel Craig
Gabriel Craig is a blacksmith and historian living and working in Detroit, Michigan. Craig is the co-owner of Smith Shop, a nationally prominent studio that produces ironwork of extraordinary design and craftsmanship. While working within contemporary contexts, Smith Shop’s works are informed by deep knowledge and expertise in historic ironwork. Craig’s work is in private collections nationally and internationally— most notably the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Metals from Western Michigan University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Metalsmithing from Virginia Commonwealth University—where he also studied architecture and decorative arts history.
Craig has lectured extensively on the subject of historic ironwork and is currently at work on a book about ironwork in his native Detroit. He is also the President of the Historic Blacksmith Conservancy, a non-profit educational and preservation organization that promotes traditional ironwork. Most recently Craig founded the Heritage Iron Company, formed to supply blacksmiths with low carbon steel for use in traditional ironwork.
Lisa Geertsen
Lisa Geertsen is an artist blacksmith from Seattle, WA. She has owned and operated Firelight Forge since 2007, operating on custom commissions ranging from architectural work to sculpture. She was the Metal and Stone Sculpture Studio Manager at Pratt Fine Arts Center from 2013-2020 in addition to teaching regular blacksmithing classes. She also served as the Instructional Technician in Sculpture at the University of Washington for the ‘24 & ‘25 academic years. Lisa completed her BFA in sculpture from WVU (West Virginia University) in 1997 and worked as a blacksmith and fabricator for various businesses, including three years as an apprentice with a Master Blacksmith. As an active member of the Northwest Blacksmith Association, she has helped facilitate the gallery portion of their conferences and taught multiple workshops for them over the years. She completed her MFA in Blacksmithing and Metalsmithing from Southern Illinois University in 2023.
In addition to teaching at Pratt Fine Arts Center and having held the Intermediate Blacksmithing Teaching Assistant position at SIUC for two years, Lisa has been a guest instructor at West Virginia University, University of Washington, University of Arkansas, Little Rock and University of Hawaii, Manoa. Geertsen has taught at national craft schools such as Penland, Haystack, Touchstone and John C Campbell Folk School. She has also demonstrated for groups; Fire on the Mountain Blacksmithing Festival, Southern Ohio Forge & Anvil, Florida Artist Blacksmith Association and the Biennale Arte de Fabbrile in Stia, Italy this past September. She has exhibited at national blacksmithing conferences as well as group exhibitions in Colorado, Tennessee, Maryland, Florida, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Hawaii, England, Italy and New Zealand. Geertsen is committed to building community through the art of blacksmithing doing so as a Founder and Governance Committee member for the Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths. By increasing the visibility of what a blacksmith can look like, her goal is to encourage diversity within the craft and community.