42 | FEBRUARY 23 • 2023 

W

hen metalsmith Gabriel Craig 
initially studied photography at 
Western Michigan University, 
his intended career path, the photography 
class just didn’t cut it for him.
Instead, he found inspiration in an 
unexpected place: his metalworking class.
“The metalworking professor gave me a 
hammer and a piece of aluminum,
” Craig, 
39, of Detroit, recalls. “He told me to 
hammer the piece of metal until it cracks.
”
As Craig, who now owns the Highland 
Park metalworking studio Smith Shop 
alongside his wife, Amy Weiks, hammered 
away at the piece of aluminum, something 
clicked. He realized how delicate and 
workable the metal was, and how easily it 
could be changed.
“This material that I had thought of as 
very resilient and hard, all of a sudden 
became plastic and malleable,
” he says. “I 
realized I could manipulate materials and 

have agency over the built environment.
”
As a lifelong creative, the Jewish artisan 
switched career paths from photography 
to metalsmithing. He began his career 
by making jewelry, focusing on silver, 
in particular, and creating wearable art. 
“I was making things that were going to 
exhibitions,
” he says.
Over time, as his skills developed and 
he took on bigger and bigger projects, 
Craig transitioned to creating architectural 
ironwork, hardware and housewares. He 
bought a welder, built a forge and filled his 
creative space with various metalworking 
tools.

CARVING A PATH
Following a stint at a commercial jewelry 
store in Kalamazoo, Craig completed a 
fellowship in Brittany, France, to further 
learn about the craft.
He then attended Virginia Common-

wealth University for graduate school and 
went on to do residencies in several cities 
before moving back to Detroit in 2010.
At that point, Craig was faced with 
a choice: Should he pursue teaching 

Meet metalsmith Gabriel Craig, who, with 
his wife, Amy, creates custom metal jewelry, 
Judaica and more.

Forging 
 Ahead

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

NEXT DOR
VOICE OF A NEW GENERATION

The Smith 
Shop produces 
architectural 
metal work, 
like this gazebo 
at a home in 
Northville.

Amy Weiks and Gabriel 
Craig, owners of the 
Smith Shop

NATE JOHNSON

