Dung Beetle by Fyli Sissoko (in private collection in Tawain)
The Dung Beetle or Scarab (Kheper) was one of the most popular amulets in ancient Egypt and translates into ‘to come into being’. They are seen in many cultures as a symbol of transformation and luck. Scientifically, they are an important part of the life cycle as they feed and nest off of mammal dung, break it down and recycle it into the soil enabling nutrients to cycle through the ecosystem.
Our Name
The color of bronze, with its variety of hues, signifies the spectrum of beautiful skin tones of the people who are the focus of our efforts. The historical significance and metallurgic properties of bronze impart attributes of a world we aspire to become. Like the discovery of bronze, an alloy of different metals that together made it stronger and propelled society forward with new capabilities, we believe that if people of all shades work together, we will be a stronger community.
Our Story
Our Beginnings…
The Bronze Smiths was originally established as an initiative of the Metal Arts Guild of Georgia (MAGG) as a direct response to the heightened Black Lives Matter movement of 2020. MAGG’s Board of Directors reflected on the organization and recognized that MAGG’s membership base did not reflect the racial diversity of the Atlanta area, expressed a desire to change, and supported the creation of a focused group to help diversify the organization and address systemic racism. As a result, a group of metalsmiths passionate about driving racial equality came together to form The Bronze Smiths initiative.
Members of the initiative quickly identified their aspirations to liberate metalsmithing talent and potential in underrepresented people and celebrate their contributions to the metal arts. The group recognized that to drive systemic change, it needed to engage the community in new ways to open opportunities that have been historically unknown and inaccessible. This meant expanding what and how to teach the craft and developing new connections in the community. It also led to an increased interest in engaging with a younger audience, leveraging the craft as a vehicle to infuse S.T.E.A.M. lessons, entrepreneurial skills and keeping youth motivated and off the streets.
Within a year of successful programming, the initiative and MAGG mutually recognized that the magnitude of the group’s aspirations, although well aligned with MAGG’s mission, overstretched the organization’s bandwidth. As a result, the two entities decided to spin-off The Bronze Smiths as a separate legal organization in 2021, while continuing to support each other’s efforts.