Joseph Bengivenni & Trudy Bengivenni
	Clare Blacksmithing & Welding Mfg.
	Phone:	(902) 769-2516
	Civic Address:	143 Lower Mill Rd.
	Mailing Address:	Box 151, RR# 1 Church Point
	Postal Code:	B0W 1M0
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Like legendary blacksmiths of old, Joe’s passion for his art was ignited the first time he lit a fire in the forge, heated a bar of steel until it glowed red, then pounded it into a form shaped as much by whim and will, as by his well executed hammer strokes. A true aficionado of forge and anvil, Joe unites the mighty forces of functional necessity and creative ingenuity, reflected in the broad range of works he produces.

His first shop, constructed in 1975, sat on his homestead along the banks of the Tusket River, three miles from the last power pole; where he shaped and forge-welded ship fittings for a local boatbuilder and kept several draft horses in shoes. Since then, his skill and shop infrastructure have both evolved, yet he has never entirely departed from his original “village smithy” role. His artistic works, including scrolled railings, weathervanes and park fixtures grace many municipal properties and private homes throughout Western Nova Scotia. But the bulk of his production is still driven by the working needs of the rural fishing community he resides in. It is not incongruous to see a set of anchors or fishing gear resting in the shop dooryard beside a wrought-iron railing, or the occasional horse having hoof-sizzling hot shoes shaped to an exact fit. In this way, Joe has kept the traditional, fundamental aspect of blacksmithing very much alive.

Ornamental or functional, the productions of the coming together of metal and fire conjure up mythical associations and offer us a compelling connection to our ancient origins. Watching Joe work in the glow of his fire, witnessing the act of metal being fused to metal by the force of his hammer, or the amazing sight of iron bending with the malleability of clay, one senses the profound capacity of the imagination to create and shape reality—not by brute force alone, but also with the mind. This is, perhaps, what lies beneath the magical allure that draws people to watch a blacksmith at work. Something intangible in every person that is awakened and fired by the sight. And it is the perpetual challenge that inspires Joe to walk out of his house every morning and head for the shop where his mettle meets its match.

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