It’s pretty common for a university president to be invited to attend events. It’s uncommon, however, for one to be featured at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, but that’s exactly where University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, was Nov. 14-17. 

The Philadelphia craft show is in its 48th year and featured one-of-a-kind works from artists across the United States and visiting artists from Italy. All told, 195 artists representing 13 categories oif art and design were chosen by a jury and invited to present their work.  

Having his metalworks selected to be displayed at a craft show was a first for Jarrell, who is a member of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland and has been working with metal since he was about 10 years old and living on his parents’ Eastern Shore farm. 

“I have always wanted to compete in a juried art show because the competition from the professional artist world is strong,” said Jarrell, whose exhibition included 42 items. “It was great to be selected, and the experience was exceptional.” 

President Jarrell discusses his metalwork with a visitor during the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Contemporary Craft Show.

A few UMB colleagues traveled to Philadelphia to see Jarrell’s work firsthand.  

“I collect some American crafts and attend local shows such as the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., and American Craft Made and Artscape, both in Baltimore, but this was my first time attending the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s show,” said Irma Robins, MBA, JD, deputy general counsel.  

“Dr. Jarrell forges delicate interpretations of nature from iron,” she added. “His work is amazing. His exhibition showed a beautifully presented retrospective — everything from a delicate strand of ivy on a slate tile to an almost Dr. Seuss-like landscape of flowers and fruits, bursting with different shapes, tones, and colors. People came by and were immediately engaged.”  

Jarrell’s work uses the structures of flowers and other plants as inspiration for new pieces; he also draws inspiration from his mother’s award-winning embroidery works. It took him over a decade to develop the new forging techniques used in his art.  

“Dr. Jarrell’s talent and creativity were on display at Philadelphia craft show,” said John D. Sorkin, MD, PhD, professor, Department of Medicine, UMSOM. “He mixed standard blacksmithing techniques with new techniques that he has pioneered. He used crayons to add color to his iron sculptures and demonstrated that the old saw that blacksmiths can't work with pipes is untrue. He showed that pipes can be used to create beautiful flowers. He was inspired by a needlepoint created by his mother to create a three-dimensional floral sculpture.”  

Jarrell’s forging of hollow round tubes is quite different from the forging of solid bars, the material usually used in traditional blacksmithing. He approached the challenge to create delicate, complex forms found in nature with curiosity and determination. In fact, Jarrell’s novel techniques for forging metal are being shared with other blacksmiths in his new book, “The Art of the Forging Tube,” which was co-written by David Hammer, an amateur blacksmith from Virginia whom he worked with to create the hammers and tools used for forging tube.  

Jarrell says blacksmithing began as a skill he learned to repair farm equipment, and over time it became an outlet for creativity. He is an artistic blacksmith and can often be found before dawn — and before coming to the UMB campus — in his workshop. 

Jarrell has created several pieces that are well-known to UMB faculty, staff and students. He created a mace holder for the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), a mace and mace holder for the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), and a mace holder for the 2010 inauguration of Jay A. Perman, MD, as UMB president.  

In addition, he crafted the decorations surrounding the green wall in the UMSON building, the UMSON Dean’s Medals, the UMB Distinguished University Professor medals, and the “Davidge Elm Tree” window art — along with Ukrainian blacksmith Anatoliy Rudik — that is installed in the SMC Campus Center. 

“I had great support during the show from my wife, Leslie, and my long-trusted assistant, Clara Woodly,” Jarrell said. “I think they enjoyed it as well. Quite a few UMB people showed up, as did my family with our grandchildren. I hope it will be a longstanding memory for them.”