About Us Lee W. Badger
Lee W. Badger is the original owner, director and leading designer-craftsman of Anvil Works®, in business since 1981. His life-long career as a self-employed artist-blacksmith began during the 1970's in Denver and the Colorado Rockies. He was among the first wave of apprentices trained by masters of the Mid-Century American craft revival who defined themselves as “artist-blacksmiths,” including Ivan Bailey, Slim Spurling, Alex Weygers, and Francis Whitaker. After taking part in the First International Festival of Iron in Cardiff, Wales, Lee taught and worked as an artist-in-residence at Glen Echo National Park in suburban Washington, DC from 1989 to 1993. As the scope of his business increased, he began to seek a regionally central location where he could create a workshop of his own design.
In 1998 he built the Anvil Works studio and metal work shop in Hedgesville, WV and expanded it in 2005. In 2008 and again in 2014, additional specialized equipment was acquired with financial assistance from the WV Division of Culture & History and the National Endowment for the Arts. Anvil Works’ location in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle provides easy access to industrial resources and transportation routes, allowing Lee to serve clients throughout the entire Mid-Atlantic region with ease.
As an artist and furniture maker, he is a member of The Furniture Society and the International Sculpture Center. He also belongs to national, regional and local blacksmith guilds and associations, and attends metalsmithing workshops and conferences wherever his interests may lead.
Lee Badger’s creative work earns honors and awards in museum and gallery exhibitions. He keeps an active schedule circulating his sculpture and furniture designs throughout the region. In 2007 he became a Juried Member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. He has also recieved recognition from the WV Small Business Development Corporation and the WV Division of Arts and Culture.
The mainstay of Anvil Works’ studio business is a regular flow of privately commissioned work. Carefully understood and completed commissions are the main sources of referral. Lee shares delight and satisfaction in the commissioning process with design professionals, collectors and homeowners alike.