Equal Temperament
Equal Temperament highlights the inclusivity of modern metalworking in a juried art show, accompanied by a variety of interpretive programming to showcase metal’s links with other artistic and historical forms. The show invites artists to submit works inspired by or including metalworking or forging that safely fit within a USPS Flat Rate Shipping Box. The works will be juried by an independent panel and showcased at the Kentucky Museum during a 10-month exhibition from July 2025 to April 2026.
Five awards will be given, named in recognition of the field's historical innovations:
- Kentucky Museum Purchase Award, $600
- Ulfberht Award for the most puzzling work, $250
- Masamune Award for the most intricate work, $250
- Yellin Award for the most functional work, $250
- Brim Award for the most humorous or fantasy-like work, $250
Important Dates:
October 1, 2024 - Entries due.
January 1, 2025 - Artists notified of acceptance and given further instructions on shipping.
May 1, 2025 - Works must be postmarked and sent to Kentucky Museum.
Mid-July 2025 - Exhibition opens to the public.
October 2025 - Hammer-In weekend and Exhibition Awards Reception. Details including travel information will be posted in early spring 2025.
April 2026 - Exhibition closes. Works will be returned to the artists via USPS Flat Rate Shipping.
Call for Artists
The exhibition is open to artists who are:
- 18 years of age or older, and
- Living in the United States,
AND whose work:
- is inspired by or includes metalwork or forging, and
- Fits within a USPS Flat Rate Shipping box.
There is NO entry fee.
Each artist may submit up to THREE works for consideration. All works MUST meet the terms and conditions specified in the Prospectus.
Click here to download the PDF Prospectus.
Entries must be received through the online entry form no later than 11:59pm on October 1, 2024.
Submission of entry is taken as agreement in full to all Terms and Conditions set forth in the Prospectus. Exhibit organizers reserve the right to disqualify work from consideration that does not meet criteria set forth herein, poses installation issues, or is deemed unsafe for the museum environment.
THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE
EACH ARTIST MAY SUBMIT UP TO THREE WORKS FOR CONSIDERATION.
Entries must be received through the online entry form no later than 11:59pm on October 1, 2024.
ABSOLUTELY NO CORRECTIONS OR SUBSTITUTIONS.
Artists must be aged 18 years of age or older and living in the United States of America. Artworks submitted for consideration should be contemporary works inspired by or including metalwork or forging. All works must fit safely into a USPS flat rate box. Artists of all skill levels are encouraged to enter.
- ALL ENTRIES MUST BE ORIGINAL AND COMPLETED DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS.
- ALL ENTRIES MUST FIT WITHIN A USPS FLAT RATE SHIPPING BOX. The maximum dimensions
of the work must fit within one of the following:
- Flat Rate Padded Envelope - 12 ½” x 9 ½”
- Small Flat Rate Box - 8 11/16” x 5 7/16” x 1 ¾”
- Medium Flat Rate Box (Top-Load) - 11 ¼” x 8 ¾” x 6”
- Medium Flat Rate Box (Side-Load) - 14 ⅛” x 12” x 3 ½”
- Large Flat Rate Box - 12 ¼” x 12” x 6”
- All works created from natural materials must be stable, well seasoned, and insect and contaminant free.
- No works requiring electricity accepted.
- No substitutions or changes in eligibility status for Purchase Award accepted after entry is received.
- No promotional materials accepted.
- Exhibit organizers reserve the right to disqualify work from consideration that does not meet criteria set forth herein, poses installation issues, or is deemed unsafe for the museum environment.
All wall-mounted entries will be hung on a cable-mounting system with a 60 to 120 pound weight limit. Works must be prepared for hanging with properly sized eyelets and wire. No command strips, mounting tape, or other wall mounts will be accepted. Entries not properly prepared or those presenting handling or installation issues will not be accepted.
For questions regarding installation preparation, please contact Charles Hurst at charles.hurst@wku.edu
- ALL WORKS MUST REMAIN ON VIEW FOR THE DURATION OF THE EXHIBITION.
- ALL WORKS MUST BE SHIPPED BY May 1, 2025 to the Kentucky Museum. Shipping instructions will be provided after work is accepted.
- All works will be shipped via USPS Flat Rate Shipping.
- Artists living within a 60-mile radius of Bowling Green, KY, are encouraged to hand deliver works on May 2, 2025 during the Museum’s normal operating hours.
- No work will be accepted early or released to anyone other than the artist without prior written permission from the artist.
- Upon receipt of artworks by the Kentucky Museum, a condition report will be prepared and shared with the artist to ensure the work has been received as intended.
One work will be selected for each of the following awards:
- Purchase Award, $600
- Ulfberht Award (for the most puzzling work), $250
- Masamune Award (for the most intricate work), $250
- Yellin Award (for the most functional work), $250
- Brim Award (for the most humorous or fantasy work), $250
Reasonable precautions will be taken in handling entries, but the Kentucky Museum is not responsible for the loss of or damage to submitted works. Artists should arrange for their own insurance. Unclaimed artwork becomes the property of the Kentucky Museum 30 days after the exhibition closes.
An independent panel will judge the works submitted for consideration and make determinations on those included in the exhibition. Another, independent art professional will judge the works for the awards and prizes. All selections are made at the discretion of the panel and judge.
Organizers reserve the right to reproduce any work submitted for educational or promotional purposes. Organizers also reserve the right to photograph the work and utilize said photographs in a catalog and/or virtual presentation of the exhibition.
Submission of any entry to Equal Temperament will be understood to indicate agreement on the part of the artist with all conditions set forth on this page.
Programs and Events
From August 2025 to April 2026, a variety of programs will explore metalworking's roots in the home forge and its links to other artistic and scientific forms. Notably, inspired by the "anvil's ring," we are partnering with the WKU Department of Music to present programs that explore how the sounds of metalworking have and continue to inspire composers and musicians.
October 2025 - Hammer-In
- Thursday Night - Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony for Equal Temperament
- Friday - Professional Development sessions for metalworkers, artists, and students, hosted on WKU's campus
- Saturday - Hammer-In at the Kentucky Museum, open to the public
- Demonstrations by members of the Kentucky Forge Council, Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths, and WKU League of Sculptors, with special guests to be announced.
- Aluminum Pour with DIY scratch blocks, with proceeds benefiting the WKU League of Sculptors.
- Kentucky Folklife Program Narrative Stage with interviews of our featured demonstrator(s) about metalworking traditions and innovations.
- Beginner's workshop on forge and flame.
- Musical performance with special guest, in collaboration with the WKU Department of Music.
- Local food trucks.
- And more!
Stay tuned for future program announcements.
Why Metalworking?
Metalworking is one of the oldest professions and artistic mediums in the world. Begun at least 3,000 years ago, when the Hittites of Anatolia began smelting iron, metalworking - and the profession of blacksmithing - continued as an integral part of human culture. Smiths created the everyday and extraordinary: from nails to hold homes and carts together, to the masterpieces of Renaissance cathedrals and modern sculptures.
Today, blacksmithing remains an integral part of Kentuckians’ lives – represented both in the home forge of independent smiths and local councils as well as the metal industries based in aluminum, copper, and steel that are growing the Commonwealth's economic prosperity. According to Kentucky’s Cabinet for Economic Development, since 2017, aluminum companies alone have provided over 90 new or expansion projects totaling $2.7 billion in investment in the state – and the now over 180 facilities provide 21,000 full-time jobs for Kentuckians.
Yet metalworking is also a creative outlet, providing a blend of economic impact and creative freedom not often seen in other fields. In September 2023, the New York Times published “Blacksmithing is alive and well in Kentucky,” which detailed this trend, profiling Kentuckian Craig Kaviar whose “functional art” of forged handrails was recently utilized by Crab Orchard Animal Sanctuary as well as featured on the HGTV show “Modern Masters” and at the World’s Fair in Japan.
Locally, the Kentucky Forge Council (KFC) has blacksmiths like Kaviar – employed by metalworking industry firms but also utilizing home forges to create metal and forge-inspired art seen throughout Southcentral Kentucky. More importantly, the KFC recently partnered with the Society for Inclusive Blacksmiths (SIBs) during an annual Hammer-In at the Kentucky Museum to showcase the increasing diversity in blacksmithing – including people of color and LGBTQIA identifying blacksmiths. The opportunities for diverse artists in the field are growing, and Equal Temperament a nation-wide opportunity to shine a spotlight on this growing – yet historically and artistically rich – field.
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