“Beginning Blacksmithing at Iron & Lace”

     Students from Iowa, Illinois and Missouri converged on Bentonsport last weekend to experience the art of Blacksmithing. Bill Printy and Mark Heisdorffer had five students in the Beginning Blacksmithing class; the first of many such classes to be taught at Iron and Lace this year. Bill begins the day with some classroom time explaining the various processes involved with blacksmithing and then each student has an opportunity to work at their own forge. Bill and Mark work with each of the students as they work to heat and shape the iron; a process that Bill, with his years of experience, makes look easy. The day is filled with time at the forge and in the classroom for more instruction. Many of the students talked about how great the class was and how they planned to return for future classes.

     Call today and take the opportunity to learn blacksmithing or any of the many arts taught here at the Villages Folk School. Our phone number is 319-592-3700 or you may go to our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com, print the registration form and mail it to the Villages Folk School, PO Box 51, Bonaparte, Iowa 52620.

     In May, Gin Lammert will teach a workshop in Pastel & Oil at the Wendell Mohr studio in the historic Vernon schoolhouse. This will be a great opportunity for you to paint where Wendell created his many masterpieces.

     Find your class on the website calendar, register and come enjoy living the arts at the Villages Folk School. For those of you without internet the following is a list of classes available through May.

     Villages Folk School class schedule for April and May:

Printmaking, 29-30 April; Raku Pottery, 7 May; Bonaparte Pottery Experience, 7-8 May; Blacksmithing (Tong Making), 14-15 May; Chair Caning with Fiber Rush Weave, 14 May; Portrait Workshop in Pastel & Oil, 14-15 May; Spring and Fall Birdwatching, 21 May; Painting the Landscape, 28 May.

     Contact us at 319-592-3700 or go to our website at www.villagesfolkschool.com and prepare yourself for an exciting weekend at the Villages Folk School in Van Buren County Iowa.