Hunter Valley based artist Will Maguire holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (with distinction) and a trade in both blacksmithing and fabrication. With over 10 years of independent practice, he combines extensive experience in making and design with critical and interrogative thinking to bring fresh eyes to traditional mediums. His works span the practical and the sculptural with an eye for form, shadow, weight and the social conditions in which an object emerges.

He has exhibited widely in Australia, including at Sculpture by the Sea Bondi; and internationally in UK and USA. Maguire has completed residencies at the ANU sculpture school and the Penland School of Crafts (USA). His work has been acquired by The University of Newcastle and form part of the public collections of local and state authorities in ACT, Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Singleton, Cessnock and Langemark-Poelkapelle (Belgium).

Education and Experience

• 2020 Bachelor Arts (Philosophy), with distinction, University of Newcastle Guest lecturer at Hereford Collage of the arts, England
• 2019 Artist residency, Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, Australia.
  Team leader for Jake James sculpture collaboration, Waterside festival, Melbourne, Australia
• 2018 Artist residency, Penland Schools of Crafts, North Carolina, USA Artist residency, Stonehurst wines, Pokolbin, NSW, Australia
• 2016 Invited Mastersmith at Ypres 2016 International Blacksmith event Ypres, Belgium Hefaiston international blacksmith conference, Helfstyn Castle, Czech Republic
• 2013 – 2020 Editor for Artist Blacksmith Association of NSW periodical blacksmith magazine
• 2012 Journeyman blacksmith, with David Thompson, Eugene, Oregon, USA
  Journeyman blacksmith, with Keita Kurashima, Kawaguchi, Japan 2011- 2012 Studied Natural History Illustration, University of Newcastle, Australia 2008 Journeyman blacksmith, with Igor Andryukhin, St Petersburg, Russia
  Journeyman blacksmith at Topp and Co. North Yorkshire, England. Ferraculum, international blacksmith event, Ybbsitz, Austria.
  International forging event, Arles Sur Tech, France International forging event, Nagoya, Japan
• 2007 Journeyman blacksmith at Terrance Clark, Guildford, Surrey, England Journeyman blacksmith at Fransham Forge, Norfolk England Journeyman blacksmith at Steven Lunn, Northumberland, England World Forging Championships, Stia, Italy
  Contributor at international blacksmithing festival, Ivano Frankvisk, Ukraine
• 2006 Completed four-year trade, Blacksmith and Boilermaker, Forgemasters Aust., Kurri Kurri, NSW, Australia

Solo Exhibitions

• 2020 Leaning in to letting go, Traffic Jam Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia
• 2017 Journey of expectations, Traffic Jam Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia
• 2012 Blacksmith reflecting Japan, Manning Regional Gallery, Taree, NSW, Australia
• 2012 Iron with a J, Watt space gallery, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
• 2011 Perpetual, Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

Selected Group Exhibitions

2021

• Measured Making – #150mm challenge, Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee, USA; and at the Memphis Metal Museum.
• Connect, Curve Gallery, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
• The Birds, Traffic Jam Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

2020

• Meta-Formations, Houston Centre for Contemporary Craft (USA), Texas, USA.
• Sculpture in the Vineyards, Wollombi, NSW, Australia (also 7 times since 2010) 2019 Meta-
• Formations, Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee, USA.
• Swell sculpture festival, Gold coast, QLD, Australia.
• Discovery Fe26, The Glass house, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia. North Sydney Art Prize,
• The Coal Loader, North Sydney, NSW Australia. Sculpture on the Farm, Forsterton, Dungog, NSW, Australia.

2018

• Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize, Sydney, NSW, Australia
• Lake Light Sculpture, Jindabyne, NSW, Australia
• Wood, metal and modern materials, Cessnock regional Art Gallery, NSW, Australia.
• Sculpture on the Farm, Dungog, NSW, Australia
• Sculptures in the Gardens, Mudgee, NSW, Australia

2017

• Black & White & works on Paper, Traffic Jam Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia

2015

• Flow, contemporary blacksmithing and metal art, Roslyn Smorgan gallery, Footsgray VIC, Australia
• North Sydney art prize, The coal loader center for sustainability, Waverton NSW, Australia

2014

• Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Sydney NSW, Australia
• Sculpture inside, Sculpture by the sea, Bondi, Sydney NSW, Australia
• Force, contemporary ironwork, Artist Blacksmith Ass. NSW, Manning Regional Gallery, Taree, NSW, Australia.
• Bloodlines, Traffic Jam Galleries, Sydney, NSW, Australia

2013

• 2013, Brenda May Gallery, Waterloo, Sydney, NSW, Australia Emerging 2013, Gosford regional Gallery, Gosford, NSW, Australia Headgear 3, MILS gallery, Sydney, NSW, Australia

2012

• Art Collector’s Choice, University gallery, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
• Sculpture on the edge, Bermagui, NSW, Australia

2011

• Mortimore Prize, travelling exhibition, Dubbo, NSW and ACT, Australia
• Willoughby sculpture prize, Willoughby, NSW, Australia

2009

• Makers mark II, Hunter Arts Network, Lovett Gallery, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

2008

• Playing with fire, British Artist Blacksmith association, Weald & Downland Open air museum, Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom

Awards and Achievements

• 2020 Winner of sculpture at the Newcastle Show.
• 2018 ANU artist residency award, Lake Light sculpture Jindabyne.
  Awarded seed funding from The University of Newcastle for Community blacksmith repair day.
• 2017 Artist in Residence award, Sculpture in the Vineyards, Wollombi NSW. Bachelor of Arts Faculty Scholarship, University of Newcastle, Australia.
• 2016 Invited Master Blacksmith, representing Australia for Ypres 2016 International Blacksmith event, Ypres, Belgium.
  Travelling scholarship from Artist Blacksmith Association of NSW, Australia.
• 2015 First prize for outdoor sculpture, Hunter region Botanic Gardens sculpture prize, Heatherbrea, NSW, Australia (also in 2012)
• 2014 Winner of major award, Sculpture on the greens Wyong, NSW, Australia (also in 2013) Winner for sculpture, Dobell art festival, Rathmines, NSW, Australia.
• 2013 Winner, main prize, figurative sculpture, Maitland Art Prize, Maitland, NSW, Australia.
  Winner Sculpture (functional) Hunters Hill art prize, Hunters Hill, NSW, Australia.
• 2012 Overall winner, Emerging Artist award, Wollombi Valley arts council, Wollombi NSW Acquisitive student prize, Art Collectors Choice, University Gallery, University of Newcastle NSW, Australia.
  First prize for sculpture, Newcastle Emerging Art prize, Newcastle NSW, Australia. Awarded Natural History Illustration Scholarship, Newcastle University NSW, Australia Figurative sculpture prize, Darling Park exhibition, The sculptors society, Sydney, Australia.
  2011 First prize for figurative sculpture, Maitland Art Prize, Maitland NSW Australia Presidents award, The Sculptors Society, Darling park Exhibition, Sydney, NSW, Australia
• 2010 First prize overall, Artscrawl, Pokolbin, NSW, Australia
  First prize for sculpture, Scone Art prize, NSW, Australia (also in 2009) 2009 First prize overall, Artscrawl, Pokolbin, NSW, Australia

Significant Commissions

• 2020 Bend and stretch, 4.5m public sculpture for Wagga Wagg’s new multipurpose sport
  stadium, NSW, Australia.
  Wedge Bench, sculptural public seat main street Branxton, NSW, Australia.
• 2019 Branch bench, sculptural seat for Singleton council’s arts building, collaboration with
  NSW Artist Blacksmith Association, Singleton, NSW, Australia,
• 2017 North Wagga Pontoon, sculptural public seating, North Wagga, NSW, Australia.
• 2016 WW1 Peace Memorial, 12 ton international collaborative project, invited master and
  panel designer, Ypres, Belgium.
• 2016 Playful pushies, sculptural bike rack, collaboration with designer Grace Maguire,
  Kingston foreshore, Canberra, Australia.
• 2016 Air Horn Arm pull, Tarcutta public art, Tarcutta, NSW, Australia
• 2015 Steel workers Memorial, 5-ton public art commission for ex-BHP site, Newcastle
  NSW Australia.
• 2014 Bellbird, bronze entrance sculpture, Carmichael estate, Cessnock, NSW, Australia
• 2013 Entrance sculpture, Joy Global Rutherford headquarters, collaborative work with
  Jake James and the Artist Blacksmith Association of NSW.

Collections

University of Newcastle, City of Wagga Wagga, Singleton Shire Council, Cessnock city council, Municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle (Belgium), numerous private collections in Australia, England, Czech Republic, Italy, USA and Japan.