Enameling is fusing specially-made glass “vitreous enamel” onto metal or similar media using intense heat to create something of beauty. It has been used for over 3,000 years.
The Carpenter Enamel Foundation is a 501(3)c non-profit organization chartered in the state of Kentucky in 2003. Our mission is to teach, support, and inspire the creation and use of enameled art and jewelry by hobbyists, artists, students, and educators worldwide.
Our current building was completed in 2006 and includes over 11,000 square feet of space including studio and classroom space, offices, a store, a huge museum, and a library. We conduct workshops, classes, tours, sell enameling supplies, and provide online support to the enamelist community. Since 2018 we have been in the process of significantly expanding our programs and level of support.
Woodrow Carpenter had a long history of working with enamel that began in the 1930’s until his death in 2017 at 101 years old. His reach was international, with personal contacts in Europe, Australia, India, and the far east. He was a true pioneer in the field, developing and refining lead-free enamels as early as the 1950’s. They are now the standard for all educational institutions and most artists.
He bought Thompson Enamel in 1980 and moved it to the Cincinnati area, where their leaded enamels were replaced with the lead-free varieties he developed. Thompson Enamel is the only manufacturer of jewelry enamel in the United States and is still located in Bellevue, KY. The Carpenter Enamel Foundation and Thompson Enamel are independently owned and operated.
Woodrow Carpenter was well known among enamelists all over the world, collecting enameled art worldwide (almost all of it now displayed in our Museum), teaching, writing, creating, and promoting the use of enamel. He founded and published Glass on Metal, magazine, and founded the Enamelist Society as well as the Ohio Valley Enameling Guild.