August 2025 Volume 7

FOUNDATION NEWS

importance of forging and is proud of American ingenuity. CMA contributes not just to the growth of individual metal artists but to the sustainability of an entire craft. It brings the people mentioned above into a shared space where tools, history, and ideas are exchanged freely. Participants from around the world travel to Johnstown to take part in this model. They leave with more than skills; they leave with a deeper understanding of forging’s place in America’s past and its relevance to the future. “CMA is important to us because, even with all of the technology, ours is still a business of art and industry.” – Chelsea Berry At CMA, there is a deep belief that forging is more than technique. It is a cultural act, a story told through heat and pressure, material and mind. It represents resilience, precision, strength, creativity, and adaptability, the same qualities that define the best of American entrepreneurs. Forging executives, professionals, and enthusiasts know this instinctively. Many feel an urgency to protect and preserve not just the equipment, but also the knowledge that has been built. That’s the work CMA is doing every day, preserving skills, inspiring excellence, and ensuring the next generation understands what they’re carrying forward through education. Supporting CMA CMA’s work touches on several high-priority areas for philanthropic and institutional support. Our work has a positive impact on technique-based forging education, historic tool and

equipment restoration and preservation, expanded access to high quality education via scholarships and residencies, and cultural revitalization of the Johnstown region through education and tourism. CMA attracts students and forgers from across the U.S. and abroad, yet remains deeply rooted in its local community. Its programs support the creative economy in Western Pennsylvania while offering a national model for the modern integration of history, craft, art, and community-building. “We support CMA because it combines the preservation of history with helping people understand the forging industry,” says Chelsea Berry, President of Trenton Forging in Trenton, Michigan. “Anytime CMA can garner interest in the industry and raise awareness about manufacturing, it is helpful to us. Any educational knowledge transfer that we don’t have to do is a benefit. CMA is important to us because, even with all of the technology, ours is still a business of art and industry.” For donors, foundations, and industrial supporters, CMA offers a clear, measurable impact. Every scholarship opens the door to a new or returning student. Every restored machine brings new capability to the workshop. Every residency strengthens a network of practitioners who carry the values of the craft of smithing and forging into the world. CMA’s Instagram page, instagram.com/centerformetalarts , posts regularly and provides an authentic feel of its mission. For those seeking to make a lasting impact on the forging’s future, CMA provides a powerful way to do so. To learn more, schedule a visit, or explore partnership opportunities, please visit centerformetalarts.org .

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FIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 2025 63