The blacksmith was the mechanic, hardware store and fabricator of all things metal needed for the soldier and civilian alike surviving in a remote and hostile land. The blacksmith fabricated things like farm tools, house hardware and accessories repaired wagons as well as shod work animals and fabricated the metal tools you needed to get by.
The skilled work of masters Hopper Shannon and José “Pep” Gómez will demonstrate the art of the Blacksmith with two working forges. Visitors will experience displays of fire and glowing metal accompanied by the ring of hammer on iron as raw metal is transformed into functional forms.
The Blacksmiths:
Bob ‘Hopper’ Shannon – A self-taught smithy who started up Diamondback Forge in 1990. Hopper specializes in 17th and 18th century Spanish colonial ironware. His work is currently on display in five museums in the U.S. and two in Germany.
José “Pep” Gómez - Is currently an instructor and tenured Assistant Professor of Welding Technology at the Dona Ana Community College. Gómez has been a member of the Southwest Artists Blacksmiths, Arizona Artists Blacksmiths, and Borderland Artists Blacksmiths Association for several years. He also owns and operates “Lost Arts Forge and Metal Works” where he specializes in restoring and rebuilding heavy equipment, forging one-off parts and tooling, the forging of pattern welded items, and welding fabrication and repair of all things metal.
