FEBRUARY 23 • 2023 | 43

metalsmithing in academia, as was a 
natural career path for his education and 
experience, or go on to do something 
different?
For Craig and his wife, who was also a 
metalsmith, the choice was “obvious,
” he 
says.
“We were like, ‘Let’s start a business,
’” 
Craig explains. It was the beginning of 
Smith Shop, which the husband-and-wife 
team opened in 2012. The craft-centric 
metalworking studio steadily forged a 
name for itself by producing functional and 
ornamental metalwork that ranged from 
giftable items like bottle openers, which 
remain a top seller, to custom designs for 
homes, such as one-of-a-kind iron gates.
Over its 10 years of operation, work 
produced by Smith Shop has been featured 
in numerous national publications, 
including Saveur, Food & Wine, Metropolis, 
Dwell and American Craft. Craig has 
also written extensively on the art of 
metalsmithing.

PUSHING BOUNDARIES
While Smith Shop initially had a large 
focus on production work for tradeshows 
and to sell their items wholesale, the pan-
demic shifted the nature of the demand 
for metalsmithing. Now, the three-person 
team, which includes a third metalsmith, 
Meredith Bracken, is doing more commis-
sion-based work and larger architectural 
projects.
“Someone walks in, calls us or emails us 
and says, ‘I need a railing for my house,
’ or 
‘I need a window grill,
’ and then we’ll come 
out and measure the space,
” Craig explains 
of the process to create a custom design. 
“We’ll figure out all the things we need, the 
inventory to design something, then we’ll 

build it for that particular environment.
“That allowed us to really pick and 
choose some of the projects a bit more,
” 
Craig adds.
Although in-person shopping and art 
shows have come back as the world adjusts 
to a post-COVID life, Craigs sees the future 
of Smith Shop including both their classic 
pieces that they sell and their custom-made 
commissions that make their work so 
sought out.
In addition, Smith Shop has a long-run-
ning Judaica section where they’ve made 
everything from silver kiddush cups to 
Shabbat candlesticks to even menorahs, 
which Craig says are all inspired by his pas-

sion for history.
“We love sharing what we do with people 
in our community,
” Craig explains.
To help others learn about the art of met-
alsmithing, Smith Shop also offers access 
to its metalworking facilities in Highland 
Park via classes, workshops and private 
lessons.
“Our goal is to keep pushing our artistic 
horizons,
” Craig says. “If we were just doing 
the same thing over and over again, we 
would get really bored. We’re always trying 
to push the envelope and raise the bar for 
bigger projects that are more complicated.
” 

See Smith Shop’s work at https://smithshop.com.

RIGHT: 
Abgay Fire 
Screen, 
forged at 
the Smith 
Shop.

ABOVE: The Smith Shop offers a wide array of Judaica, 
like this menorah.

Where the magic happens 
at the Smith Shop

