William S. Rogers has been named a “master craftsman” by Virginia and his native state of Tennessee and has been a professional artist for over 30 years. His studio, Rogers Metals, is a design studio that provides educational, consultation, and restoration services to museums and schools. William’s work covers a wide range of blacksmithing techniques. Working with traditional hand tools and coal and gas forges, for private commissions, he produces both exterior and interior metalwork in a distinctive style all his own. Much of his work is ornately designed with high carbon steel embellished with brass, bronze, or copper. William’s commissioned metalwork is site-specific and designed to suit the space. Textures, patterns, and rhythm of the surrounding elements interact with the form in the development of the design. Design considerations include physical and functional requirements, as well as the work’s aesthetic and spatial relationship to the architectural structure.
William’s teaching has included extensive work with Cherokee artisans, offering instruction in hammered copper. He has reproduced several replicas of early Native American work. These pieces add a useful element in telling Native American stories to modern day audiences.
Visitors to Rogers Metals Studio can feel the heat of a blacksmith’s 2,000-degree forge. Blacksmiths like William can gauge the heat and workability of steel by the color at which it glows. William is a seasoned instructor of his craft, having taught at numerous locations and completed numerous artist residencies. He offers private and group lessons and possesses a wealth of knowledge about blacksmithing, silversmithing, coppersmithing, and native cultures.
Open by Appointment