Distinctly Montana Magazine

52 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 5 - 2 0 2 6 GLENN GILMORE BLACKSMITH INDUCTED 2023 On a cross-country road trip in 1970 back to his home in Michigan, Glenn Gilmore stopped for a few days in New Mexico, where he helped his cous- in forge horseshoes on the family ranch. Over the next fifteen years Glenn took farrier classes, attended conferences and work- shops in the art of forged metalwork, and eventually made his way to Germany and Belgium, where he ap- prenticed with artist-black- smith Manfred Bredohl for several months. He has since built a career in forging site-specific installations for clients across the country, from custom fireplaces and furniture to banisters and home hardware. Glenn describes his time with Bredohl as a "revelation" in his creative path, one that he didn't realize was happening in the moment. He transitioned under Bredohl into using bigger piec- es of metal, and his natural proclivity for detail shifted from an exclusive focus on forging technique to the artistic details of the pieces he was creating–a focus, for example, on the textures and visual flow of the joints involved in forging tree branches. Bre- dohl taught Glenn that the more you produce, the more you see what is possible–in other words, "work comes from your work." Bredohl also taught his students to enjoy the process of produc- ing work. "When you're happy with what you do, your customers can see it in what you've made," Glenn says. Glenn moved to the Bitterroot 25 years ago, where he works out of a forty-by-forty-four-feet studio integrated into his home out- side Victor. While he continues to travel across the country for installations, Glenn makes it a priority to teach closer to home. He opens his studio to tours, and has held demonstrations for high school students enrolled in welding classes in Corvallis. "Being a studio artist is a lonely world," Glenn says, and open- ing his workspace to students gives him a boost of energy and a renewed appreciation for his own craft. "When you teach, you have to think about your work," Glenn explains, "which then compels you to rethink your work." He plans to host a series of blacksmithing classes in 2026. "WHEN YOU TEACH, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT YOUR WORK," GLENN EXPLAINS, "WHICH THEN COMPELS YOU TO RETHINK YOUR WORK." ERIC HEIDLE AND MONTANA ARTS COUNCIL

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