Nearside Arts Society is an independent artist-run non-profit formed to uplift and expand accessibility within the blacksmithing and metal arts community. Our goal is to create opportunities for people to learn, practice, experiment and grow, through workshops, studio access, residencies and collaborative projects.

We are raising $115,000 to relaunch and sustain programming in the historic KSA Metals Studio at the 606 Art Space on Victoria Street in Nelson.

These funds will support the first six months of operations, helping us cover insurance, fuel and utilities, materials, equipment upgrades, and the essential operating costs needed to keep this space alive and accessible for our community.

Formerly Blackbird Arts Society, we incorporated in 2021 and have spent the last several years organizing exhibitions, markets, community hammer-ins, and grassroots craft events throughout the Kootenays. With the transition to Nearside Arts Society, we are now focusing our energy toward forging and craft education, making blacksmithing and metal arts accessible to anyone with the desire to explore and learn.

Nearside Arts will operate programming out of the Metals Studio in the 606 Art Space building, formerly known as the Kootenay School of Arts. This place holds deep meaning for us. Each of our founders began their journeys as smiths here, and it is a true honour to return to the place where the forges were first lit.

The studio carries decades of history in blacksmithing, bronze casting, sculpture, and skilled making. Generations of artists, smiths, and craftspeople passed through these doors, carrying what they learned into studios, trades, public art, and communities across Canada. We feel a deep responsibility not only to preserve that legacy, but to continue shaping it into something more accessible, inclusive, community-driven, and alive for future generations.

Spaces dedicated to hands-on craft education are becoming increasingly rare, even as the need for accessible and community-rooted learning spaces continues to grow. The transition  of the KSA Metals Studio marks a major moment in Nelson’s arts landscape, but it also presents an incredible opportunity: to rebuild this space through the people who care about it most.

We believe this work deserves continuity.

By building a strong foundation now, we can ensure that future students, artists, craftspeople, and community members continue to have access to the tools, skills, mentorship, and shared learning environments that make this kind of practice possible.

What Your Support Covers

• Insurance & administrative costs
• Transition and program stabilization
• Fuel & utilities
• Materials & consumables
• Tool and equipment upgrades
• Tuition subsidy

Your support helps us keep the studio operational, affordable, and community-driven while we establish this next chapter.

From introductory blacksmithing classes to sculpture casting, bladesmithing, guest instructors, and shared studio practice, Nearside Arts aims to create a space where people at all stages of their craft can learn and grow together.

Every donation directly contributes to keeping this studio active, accessible, and evolving.

✨️Rewards & Support Packages✨️

Every contribution directly supports the continuation of blacksmithing and metal arts education within the historic 606 Arts Space, Metals Studio. Through these contributions, you are helping sustain a community forge built around shared learning, craft, and accessibility.

To thank our supporters, we are offering reward packages at a variety of donation levels. Donors of all amounts will also be recognized through our newsletters, donor wall, and archives as part of the ongoing history of the studio.

Please select your size preference where applicable, packages will be mailed out on a quarterly basis!

$50 - Kindling Package
Receive a Nearside Arts T-shirt and sticker pack. A small spark toward keeping the fires burning and helping this next chapter take shape.

$100 - Coal Package  
Receive a Nearside Arts T-shirt, sticker pack, and limited edition print. Help fuel the energy, creativity, and community that keeps the studio alive.

$200 - Hammer package 
Receive a T-shirt, hat, sticker pack, and limited edition print. Your support helps sustain the tools, equipment, and daily rhythm of the forge

$500 - Anvil Package
Receive 25% off one Nearside Arts weekend workshop. Help support instructors, fuel, materials, and shared access to the Metals Studio.

$1,500 - Forge package
Receive a hand-forged axe created in the Metals Studio. Each piece is individually crafted and rooted in the traditions of functional blacksmithing.

$2,000 - Smith and Striker package
Receive a one-day private blacksmithing lesson for two people inside the historic Metals Studio. Spend the day learning foundational forging techniques alongside experienced smiths.

$10,000+ - Crucible Package  
Receive a custom forged garden gate, along with a Nearside Arts shirt and limited edition print. This contribution helps establish the long-term foundation and future growth of the studio.

$20,000+ -  Collaborative Sculpture package
Work directly with Nearside Arts to develop a collaborative sculptural project. Help support the continuation of large-scale casting, public artwork, and advanced studio programming.

We are deeply grateful for the support of our community and for the opportunity to carry this space forward together.

🔥 ✨️ Thank you for helping us keep the fires burning! ✨️ 🔥