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