William Bastas

I am William J Bastas.  I discovered a passion for metalwork in my dad’s welding shop in 1977, where I worked as a heyboy.  I admired the welders in the shop, and strove to become one of them, even though my dad discouraged me away from the trade, insisting I should take up sales.  Working as a welder inspired me artistically, although I felt I lacked formal education.  Much of the technique I learned was from seat of the pants demonstrations and interpreting how other welders worked from their explanations.

      In 1986 I traveled to Europe, seeing fine ironwork firsthand cemented my aspiration toward a career of metalworking/blacksmithing. In my last years of college, I felt the urgency to graduate as well as search for more metalworking expertise.  Studying metalsmithing at the University of Texas became my minor, and I met Joe Pehoski on one of our field trips.  I asked for employment, and he hired me, for nine months working for the first time with a real blacksmith. After graduation from UT, I attended Austin Community College, studying code welding.  Upon graduating with a degree in Welding in 1991,and certified in pipe welding, I worked as a contract certified welder.

     In 1993, I was hired by the welding department to teach blacksmithing. I started and developed the blacksmithing program at ACC to include blacksmithing and power hammer classes.  In 1997, I left ACC, as  I was hired by the National Ornamental Metal Museum as Artist in Residence.   While at the Metal Museum, I was selected to study with Uri Hofi and given a scholarship by the River Bluff Forge Council.  Uri’s philosophy inspired me to embrace his system of blacksmithing. I returned to Austin Community College in 1998 to pursue a full-time position as a professor. To qualify for the full-time position, I became a CWI and CWE . 

     For the last nine years,  as a professor, I have been developing our smithing program, including traditional forging and  power hammer as well as classes in hardware, toolmaking, sculptural forging,  and furniture making. We offered for the last two years coppersmithing classes in Santa Clara Del Cobre in an exchange program between ACC and Cecati 166. 

   Until recently, I proudly served as Department Chair of the ACC Welding Department.

email: wbastas@austincc.edu

website: http://www.blackmetalstudio.com/

William's Gallery