Leslie Tharp Designs

08/03/2025

The weekend is off to a great start, with in the shop teaching a box building class

Can’t wait to see everyone’s projects come together tomorrow!

06/02/2025

Winter nights look dazzling in this tangle of Roots! Thank you Seth Pilley for capturing this scene and sharing it with me. As a Florida artist, I hadn’t imagined this sculpture nestled amongst a fluffy white landscape.

29/01/2025

NEW SCHEDULE POSTED for Fever Metal Art Center

February 8 & 9 - Garden Trellis Build-out
Welding and Plasma Cutting

February 11,18, 25 - Tuesday evening Bladesmithing

February 5,12,19 - Wednesday evening Welding

February 22 & 23 - Sandhill Crane
Blacksmithing and Welding

March 1 - Candle Holder
Blacksmithing

March 2 - Bowl
Blacksmithing

March 8 & 9 - GUEST ARTIST Sophie Glenn
Box Building, an intro to welding and fabrication

March 4 , 11 - Tuesday evening Coat Rack
Blacksmithing

March 18 - Tuesday evening BBQ Fork
Blacksmithing

March 5, 12, 19 - Wednesday evening Welding

10/01/2025

Hey Gainesville! We are in full swing over here at the shop - offering all sorts of hands on classes right now. Welding and Blacksmithing. The next Feb/ March schedule is coming soon.
But in the meantime, I want to give a shout out for this new CNC sign cutting class I'm offering. (This image is the Lynx Bookstore sign, created from a 4x4' piece of steel and backlit with LED lights)

I've heard from many fellow small businesses that they'd love to get a custom sign made but the costs are tough to handle when they're just starting out. This is my attempt to bring that cost down by turning the process into a group class!

Here's the full class description:

Design and cut your own 4' x 4' sign from 11 gauge steel on a CNC plasma cutter.
Class will begin initially as a group and time slots will be given for students to return with their design and assist in running the CNC machine to cut the sign.

Saturday 9-1 as a group, and with times through the rest of the weekend and following week to be chosen depending on the student's graphic complexity and ability to be cut with the prep time between our following meeting.

The first day will cover the principles of CNC plasma cutting and the required programming to take a black and white image through the process of bring cut in metal. This class will not be a thorough training in CNC programming, but rather is designed for small businesses who would like a business sign made, or creative home owners who would like to create a custom piece of art or special sign for their property.

Students will benefit the most if they arrive to class with a graphic of their image, already created. Please email [email protected] prior to class with either a plan for your design, or a completed design.

The primary steps will be -
1. Image creation (please email me with 1 week's notice if you'd like to attend but need guidance on your design). The image will eventually be a dxf file, but can begin as a jpg, pdf, or even better - an svg file.
2. Cleaning up the graphic and preparing for input into the CNC software program.
During clean up - which we can do together, we will need to adjust any images to be no thinner than .25" and we need to check for "drop out sections".
3. Moving the image through the CNC software, and into the "cut stage" where the machine plasma cuts into the 11 gauge steel.
4. Very important! Clean up - this entails each student grinding away and unwanted slag from their project. This can either happen during your second meeting at the shop, or will be done on a weekday evening, depending on how quickly we can get through the cutting process during our second meeting.

$400 registration fee and a material fee of $200 is due at the time of class

24/12/2024

Only 7 days left for the Society of Inclusive Blacksmith's Annual Fundraiser! This is the only time of year to grab a t-shirt or hat!

This group offers scholarship support to organizations (including Fever Metal Art Center , and individuals with tool grants and educational grants.
And they do so much more! Check them if this is the first you're hearing of them!

20/12/2024

A quick visit to the today

Two more days to see this sculpture in person before it’s tucked away again. It will return next holiday season 2025. It’s situated between the Plaza of the Americas and the Bell Tower.

20/12/2024

Schedule update for January!
2025 is almost here and we have plenty of chances to get in to the shop!
The evening intro classes have been really successful and there's an opportunity to catch one, if you weren't able to register for this last round of sessions.
The weekend line-up is solid too! Plenty of 1 or 2 day workshops that offer a great project to focus on and skill up while building!
FeverMetalArtCenter.com

Schedule update for January!
2025 is almost here and we have plenty of chances to get in to the shop!

The evening intro classes have been really successful and there's an opportunity to catch one, if you weren't able to register for this last round of sessions.
The weekend line-up is solid too! Plenty of 1 or 2 day workshops that offer a great project to focus on and skill up while building!

FeverMetalArtCenter.com

04/12/2024

The Holiday Open House is just around the corner!! Mark your calendars for Dec 15th and enjoy our line-up of activities:

Ornament Forging Stations
Blacksmithing Demonstrations
Playful Forging Competitions with prizes

Artist Vendors:
Karen Tharp Porcelain Works
Documented Journey

Music and Cookies!

02/12/2024

The January Schedule has been posted!!

We also have end of December classes posted.

As well as the big Dec 15th Open House with ornament forging stations, demos, forging competitions, vendors, and more!!

Check out the shop during the Dec 15th Open House from 12-6pm

FeverMetalArtCenter.com

26/11/2024

Swing by AUK Market's Small Biz Saturday event and hang out while I demonstrate blacksmithing and practice my stand up comedy routine. Just kidding! OR AM I. Come hang out!

17/11/2024

Another great memory from the spring!
This class is a fan favorite for years now. If you’ve been hoping to grab a spot, you are in luck. We are one week away and there both morning and afternoon spots available!

Day 1 we forge all the parts to make the crane
Day 2 we weld them together!

No experience required and all your material and safety gear is provided.

FeverMetalartcenter.com

11/11/2024

The first class of the fall teaching season starts tomorrow! Intro to blacksmithing.
We’ll meet for 3 evenings and cover fundamental techniques with small project prompts for practice!

There are still 2 spots open for this class!
FeverMetalartcenter.com

03/11/2024

Classes are already filling up!
fevermetalartcenter.com

29/10/2024

And thus concludes my residency time at
As always it’s not just the work we make, it’s all the ways we connect with each other. Big thank you to everyone who made the week so special!

25/10/2024

My sculpture will be exhibited tonight in Gainesville at the as part of the show “Sovereign Forms”.

View the work and read the artist’s statements that respond to the prompt “why are reproductive rights important to you”.

24/10/2024

Hey there local folks, have you heard about the Florida FABA - Florida Artist Blacksmith Association conference?
It's on Nov 8-10 on the lawn of the Best Western by 39th Ave and I75 in Gainesville.

FABA is offering some pretty incredible discounts for students and tech school faculty this year. $30 entrance for the 3 day event.

My first ever instructor, Doug Wilson, is demonstrating! So come check it out.

And there are classes to sign up for as well.

more details here - https://www.blacksmithing.org/fabacon

19/10/2024

Check out this multi - evening series. Intro to Blacksmithing will cover fundamental techniques with small project prompts each evening.
The weather's just right for some skill building, so come out and join us. Only 4 spots remaining in this class.

https://shorturl.at/bS0dd