Darrell Markewitz

CURRICULUM VITAE : Arts / Educational - to 2023

A second version, tabled by year (includes major works / links)


Arts Education :

Ontario College of Art, Toronto: 1975 - 79

General Studies program, with emphasis in technical media.


General Arts Experience:

• Body of related work extends back to the late 1970's

• A professional artisan blacksmith since the mid 1980's

• Established The Wareham Forge as a full time operation in 1992

• Independent Research into Northern European bloomery iron smelting : 2001 - present

• ’Semi-retired’ as of mid 2023


Major Teaching (Arts & Historic)


• ‘Bringing Vinland to Life’ : L’Anse aux Meadows NHSC, Newfoundland : Spring 2022

Nine day staff training in history, craft skills, interpretive method related to the Norse Encampment program (lectures / workshops / program design and implementation)

• Workshop training programs at the Wareham Forge, Wareham ON, Spring 1992 to 2020 (COVID)

Hands on programs (2 - 5 days) stressing technical aspects : Blacksmithing / Bladesmithing / Iron Smelting / Casting / plus Viking Age related

• Haliburton School of the Arts, Sanford Fleming College, Haliburton ON, Fall 2017 / Winter 2018 / Fall 2018

Sessional Instructor, one week college level programs for 16 adult students ; ‘Basics / Toolmaking’ and ‘History of Ironwork’ combine lecture and practical.

• ‘Celtic Iron Age Smelting’ : Scottish Crannog Centre, Aberfeldy, Scotland, 2016. Four day training session for staff on bloomery iron furnaces.

• ‘Experimental Archaeology - Iron Smelting’ : Washington College MD, 2013 / Brown University RI, 2011.

One week workshop program for university level students

• ‘World of the Norse’ : Cranbrook Institute of Science, MI, 2003.

Designed, constructed & installed this 1000 sq ft. exhibit containing 175 replica objects placed in ‘daily life’ context, included related staff training.

• ’Interpreting the Viking Age’ : College of the North Atlantic, St Anthony NL, May - June 2000.

Six week long college level program for 40 adult students. (Program design, delivery, administration, training manual.)

• ‘Full Circle - First Contact’ : Newfoundland Museum, 2000 +.

Worked on educational aspects of this travelling exhibit, plus staff training at hosting institutions, mounted living history presentations in conjunction (Woodstock Museum / Cranbrook Institute of Science)

• ‘Vikings - North Atlantic Saga’ : Smithsonian Natural History Museum, 2000 +.

Part of initial concept team, worked on educational aspects of this travelling exhibit, plus staff training at hosting institutions. Mounted living history presentation in conjunction (Canadian Museum of Civilization, Ottawa)

• ‘the Norse Encampment’ : L’Anse aux Meadows NHSC, Parks Canada, 1996 +

Creation and ongoing staff training for the interpretive program. (Program design, production, delivery, training manual.)


General Arts / Historic - Teaching & Demonstrations


• 'Turf to Tools' : Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Lumsden Scotland, August 2014, 2016, 2017, Isle of Skye, 2023

Research into Pictish (Scotland c 400 - 600 AD) iron smelting, Project Lead.

• ‘Caherconnell Furnace Festival’ : Caherconnell Stone Fort, the Burren Ireland, August 2023

Participant training, public interface, physical demonstration at this three day iron smelting symposium

• ‘Middle Ages / Experimental Archaeology’ : Laurier University, Waterloo ON : 2019 / 2020 / 2023

Guest lecturer for undergraduate course

• Ontario Artisan Blacksmith Association : (various ON locations), June 2005, April 2012, February 2014, October 2019

Demonstration of blacksmithing skills

• ‘CAMELOT’ (Conference) : St Jerome’s University, Waterloo ON, September 2018

Iron smelting demonstration / experiment

• DARC at Vinland : L’Anse Aux Meadows NHSC, Newfoundland, August 2010, July 2012, 2017, organized team of 12+ re-enactors for 10 day presentations, 2012 & 2017 including iron smelt

• ‘The Celts are Coming’ : Scottish Crannog Centre, Aberfeldy, Scotland, August 2017

Celtic Iron Age bloomery smelt

• Reconstructive and Experimental Archaeology Conference : Gastonia NC, October 2102, 2013, Williamsburg VA 2016

• International Congress on Medieval Studies : Kalamazoo MI, May 2012 - 2016,

Paper presentations, physical demonstrations (iron smelt 2013 / Aristotle Furnace 2016)

• 'Earth, Air Celtic Festival' : Goderich ON, August 1993 – 2013

Physical demonstrations : blacksmithing / casting / glass bead making / iron smelt

• 'Iron Smelting in Thy' : Heltborg Museum, Denmark, April - May, 2008

Undertook 3 iron smelting demonstrations

• ‘The Vikings are Coming’ : Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Bristol RI, September 2003, 2004, 2006

Organized team of 8-10 re-enactors for 3 day presentations, blacksmithing demo

• 'Smeltfest' (Germinal Ironworks) : Lexington VA, February / March 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012,

Iron smelt research, 7 – 10 day long sessions.

• 'Folly in the Forge' (Michigan Artist Blacksmiths) : Traverse City MI, February 2006,

Demonstration iron smelt

• 'Early Iron' Symposium : Peters Valley NJ, October 2006 / Cooperstown NY, October 2004 & 2005,

Iron smelt instruction and demonstration

• CanIRON 4 : Annapolis Royal NS, August 2005,

Demonstration Viking Age iron smelt

• 'Iron Processing at L'Anse aux Meadows' (Parks Canada) : L'Anse aux Meadows NF, June 2001

Research workshop participant


Arts Exhibit Curator / Event Organizer


• CanIRON 8 :Fergus ON, July 28 - 31 2011

• 'Grave Goods' : Woodstock Museum, Woodstock ON, September - October 2008

• "Out of the Fiery Furnace” : Woodstock Museum, Woodstock ON, September - October 2005

• ‘Reflections of the Conquest’ : Woodstock Museum, Woodstock ON, February - March 2002


Participating Art Exhibits


• Contributing artist in all four exhibits listed above

• CanIRON 13 : Fergus ON, August 2023

• Paisley Street Sculpture Project : Paisley ON, May - October 2022 (with Kelly Probyn-Smith)

• Elora Sculpture Project : Elora ON, May - October 2013 to 2021

• ’Fire & Steel’ : Elora Centre for the Arts, February - March 2019

• Haliburton Sculpture Project : Haliburton ON, June - October 2018

• Ypres 1916-2016 Cenotaph Project : Ypres Belgium, September 2016

Participant on Shonna Johnson’s ’Two Brothers’

• ‘Into the 4th Millennium’ : Hamilton Steam Museum, Spring 2016

• Artists Gallery at Summerfolk : Owen Sound ON, August 1995 - 2015

• 'Backroads Craft' : Tom Thompson Gallery, Owen Sound ON, Fall 2014

• 'Styll Squared' : Styll Gallery, Elora ON, September - October 2010, 2011, 2013

• Artists Gallery at Quad State Roundup : Troy Ohio, September 1995 - 2013

• 'Vessels' : BMA Gallery, Collingwood ON, Fall 2009

• An Droichead Group Show : AS220, Providence RI, Spring 2009

• 'Tradition and Innovation' : The Lindsay Gallery, Lindsay ON, February 2003

• 'Contemporary Celtic - Art At Comhaltas' : The North American Conference of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Comhaltas, Toronto ON, April 2001

• 'A Celtic Renaissance - Contemporary Art in Ontario and Brittany' : Guelph ON, January - May, 1999


Grants / Awards :


• Ontario Arts Council, Project (travel) Grant 2016 : For five combined projects in Belgium, Poland, Scotland.

• Ontario Arts Council, Project Development (research) Grant 2012 : For ‘Bloom to Bar’ project.

• Canada Council, Travel Grant, 2008 : For research and the ‘Iron in Thy’ symposium (Denmark)


Recurring Shows :


• ‘Summerfolk’ : Owen Sound ON, August 1992 - 2017

• 'Earth, Air Celtic Festival' : Goderich ON, August 1993 - 2013

• International Congress on Medieval Studies : Kalamazoo MI, May 2013 - 2016


Publications :


• ‘Experiment, Archaeology & Art - The Turf to Tools Project’ : in ‘Experimental Archaeology at EAA-23’ Fregni & Maguire (editors), publication pending

• ‘Archaeology, Experience and Experiment - Further tests of Icelandic iron smelting furnaces’ : contributions by Neil Peterson and Rey Cogswell, in ‘Can These Bones Come to Life? Vol. 2’, Cramer (editor) publication pending

• ‘Look at the Bones! Adding bone to a bloomery iron smelt’ : in ‘the EXARC Journal; 2023/4

• ‘How to Annoy Reviewers’ : co-author Neil Peterson, in ‘the EXARC Journal’ 2022/2

• ‘Now with 70% Less Clay! Experiments with Viking Age Icelandic turf walled iron smelting furnaces’ : co-authors Kevin P. Smith & Neil Peterson, for the EAC12 Conference (video) published via YouTube, April 2021 (paper under preparation, shortened version on web site)

• ‘Standardized Reporting of Experimental Iron Smelting - a modest (?) proposal’ : in ‘the EXARC Journal’ 2021/1

• ‘Westward Vikings - and IRON’ : for the Woodford Furnace Festival - 2020 (video) published via YouTube, August 2020

• ‘ “But if you don't get any IRON…” - Towards an effective method for small iron smelting furnaces’ : in 'EuroREA’, Fall 2011


• ‘Experiencing Experiment - Using Experimental Archaeology in public demonstration’ : in ‘ALHFAM, Proceedings 2019’

• ‘An Iron Smelt in Vinland - an experimental investigation’ : in ‘Can These Bones Come to Life?’, Cramer (editor) 2014

• ‘The Viking Encampment…Presenting the Past’ : in ‘Vinland Revisited’, Lewis-Simpson (editor), 2002

• ‘Lessons from the Viking Age’ : in ‘ALHFAM, Proceedings 1998’, Jones (editor), 1999


• Reviewer : the EXARC Journal (quarterly), 2019 - present

• Editor & contributor : The Iron Trillium (quarterly) Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association, 2019 - 2021

• Featured demonstrator : ‘Americas Lost Vikings’ (television) October 2018


• Featured demonstrator : ‘History in the Making’ (television) October 2017

• Featured artist : ‘Ironwork Today’ by Snynder, vol. 2 (2008) / vol. 3 (2011) / vol. 4 (2015)

• Featured artist : ‘Backroads Craft’ by Comber & Civiero, 2014


• Detailed reports / formal articles self published on web site :

- ’Experiment, Archaeology & Art - The Turf to Tools Project’ : September 2023

- 'That Which Remains - Signs from Bloomery Iron Smelting Initial Compaction’ : Fall 2022

- ‘How Dense Are You? Recording Bloom Density from Experimental Iron Smelting’ : Winter 2022

- ‘Stacking Up - On constructing clay furnace walls’ : August 2021

- ‘Into Phase 3 - Continuing experiments with iron smelting based on Hals, Iceland’ : Summer 2021

- ‘Evidence of Absence - Erosion of Bloomery Furnaces’ : May 2021

- ‘Iron Smelting in Vinland - Converting Archaeological Evidence to Practical Method’ : June 2010)

- ‘Concerning the Shape of Blooms’ : February 2010

- ‘Working towards an Icelandic Viking Age Smelt, Based on the remains at Hals’ : prepared with the assistance of Kevin P. Smith & Neil Peterson, October 2008.

- ‘Adventures in Early Iron Production : An overview of experimental iron smelts, 2001 – 2005’ : March 2006

• Five self published DVD / CD ROM :

• Manage a number of internet sites including :

- ‘The Wareham Forge’ : www.warehamforge.ca / www.warehamforge.com , since 1998

- ‘Experimental Iron Smelting’ : www.warehamforge.ca/ironsmelting , since 2006

- ‘Hammered out Bits’ : warehamforgeblog.blogspot.com (blog), since 2006 (now over 1000 postings)

- YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHDqWmXWGPmFXbjilICkQiQ , since 2008

- ‘The Norse Encampment (at L’Anse aux Meadows NHSC)' : unofficial program documentation, since 2000

- Ontario Artist Blacksmith Association : web site, 2004 - 2012


- Early Iron Experimental Group : web site & forum, 2005-2008