Tom Ward, Bladesmith.

My name is Thomas Ward and I am a Massachusetts-born metal artist. I forge historically inspired weapons to learn about ancient craft and technology. To me, what makes this a contemporary art practice is that these weapons have no functional use in today’s society. While they are strictly functional objects, they lack any of their functional constructs in the world now. To create them in this place turns them into objects that only sit on a pedestal while informing us about our technological past. I consider it to be equal parts contemporary sculpture and experimental archeology. I graduated from MassArt in Boston in 2011 with Honors and Distinction. During my time there I achieved grants such as the Dondis R. Dondis grant and the Stephen D. Paine Scholarship.

After this I received a Fulbright Research Grant to go to Sweden. During my grant period, I was responsible for replicating a 3000lb bronze cannon for an experimental archeology project for Sweden’s Vasa Museum. The museum is based around a 17th-century warship, called “The Vasa,” which was recovered from the harbor of Stockholm and preserved as a 98% original ship. The museum wanted to fire one of Vasa’s cannons to compute its abilities as a warship but could not fire an original for many reasons. The cannon I made was for this task, and the project lasted from November 2012 to October 2014. After that I supported myself with my own skills as a metalworker until 2017 when I accepted a position in the MFA Blacksmithing program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. During the program, I received entrance into many metalworking and contemporary sculpture shows around the country, as well as scholarships and grant funding, graduating in 2020.

Currently, I reside in Istanbul, Turkey, running a workshop focusing on my art, a little teaching, and some work within the film industry in prop making.

EDUCATION

2011   Massachusetts College of Art and Design-BFA in Sculpture, Distinction and Departmental Honors

2013 Fulbright Research Fellowship

2020 Southern Illinios University Carbondale - MFA in Blacksmithing

HONORS AND AWARDS

2019 Midwest Metalsmith’s Graduate Scholarship -- $3000

2018 Blade Show – Best of the Rest

Windgate Graduate Research Grant – $400

2017 Windgate Graduate Research Grant – $800

American Bladesmithing Society Journeyman Certification

2012 Fulbright Research Grant – Sculpture, Sweden – $32,000

2011 MassArt Departmental Honors

MassArt Honors and Distinction

2010 Stephen D. Paine Scholarship Recipient – $5000

Dondis R. Dondis Travel Grant – $5000

EXHIBITIONS

2019 Master Pieces – Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Contemporary Craft – Stanhope and Spencer, Rockland, ME.

MFA Thesis Preview Show – University Museum, Carbondale, IL.

Arkansas Custom and Art Knife Show – Little Rock, AR.

2018 REFINED – Reavley Gallery of the Arts, Nacogdoches, Texas.

Forge, Form, Fabricate – University Museum, Carbondale, IL.

Blade Show – Awarded “Best of the Rest” – Atlanta, GA.

ReTooled – SNAG's “Adorned Spaces”, Portland, OR.

12th Annual Blacksmith Exhibit – Toe River Arts Council, Spruce Pine Art Gallery, Spruce Pine, NC.

2017 Craft Forms – Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA

Forge, Form, Fabricate – University Museum, Carbondale, IL .

Blade Show – Atlanta, GA.

2015 MastersmithS Gallery, Manhatten, NY.

MassArt Auction and Viewbook at the Bakalar Gallery, Boston, MA.

2014 MassArt Auction and Viewbook at the Bakalar Gallery, Boston, MA.

2013 MassArt Auction and Viewbook at the Bakalar Gallery, Boston, MA.

2012 MassArt Alumni Auction at the Armory, Somerville, MA.

2011 The Art of Ornament Show – Liloveve Gallery, Brooklyn, NY.

MassArt Senior Show at the Paine Gallery, Boston, MA.

MassArt Auction and Viewbook at the Bakalar Gallery, Boston, MA.

Sculpture Senior Thesis Show at the Yes, Oi, Si Gallery, Boston, MA.

MassArt Sculpture All School Show, Boston, MA.

Stephan D. Paine Scholarship Exhibition, Boston, MA.

2010 The Suns That Sank Below, Boston, MA.

MassArt Sculpture All School Show, Boston, MA.

ARTICLES, PUBLICATIONS, PRESS

2020 Blade Magazine, Cover Art Contribution; “Wild Welds,” pg 25-28; January 2020

2019 Knives 2019, Artwork contribution: “A Dagger'll Do Ya,” pg 59; “Display Case Damascus” pg 169, 2019.

Knives 2020, Artwork contribution “Hordes of Swords,” pg 83; 2019.

2018 Knives 2018, Artwork contribution “Bowies,” pg 75-6, 2018. Blade Magazine, “Blade Show Award Winners,” pg 25-35, August 2018

Blade Magazine, “ABS Auction Benefits and Society's Educational Efforts,” Pg 45, June 2018 Blade Magazine, “Bowies and Sabers,” pg. April 2018

2017 Blade Magazine, “Maker Profiles,” pg 42-3, August 2017.

2016 Blade Magazine, “Maker Profiles,” pg. 36-7, March 2016.

Vasa II, Dr. Fred Hocker, Thomas Ward, “Chapter 10: Anchors: Construction and Use”

2015 Knife World, Steven Garger, “Like Clay with Hammers” Cover Article pg 1-5, June 2015.

Blade Magazine, “Hybrids,” February 2015.

2014 The Local, “Vasa ship cannon blasted in Sweden” Online Article, October 22, 2014.

The History Blog, “Replica of Bronze Cannon Shot” www.thehistoryblog.com