The Ruff Edge Forge & Metal works LLC

Thank you all for your support and being present for this art installation, "The Wizards Looking Glass Court."

This has been a pleasure and a joy to be able to create. There are several inspirations that I drew from including “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Wicked,” and “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.”

We live in a world that often demands that we be sensible, predictable, and firmly rooted to the ground. But I look at this room, and I think to myself: "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."

There will be people who tell you that your goals are impossible. To them, I say: "Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!" Never let the limitations of a small mind restrict the size of your dreams.

​Think about Alice. She didn't find her purpose by walking a straight line. She found it because she was brave enough to fall down a rabbit hole into a world that made absolutely no sense. Wonderland teaches us that when the world around you becomes absurd, the most logical thing you can do is embrace your own "muchness." If you feel you're mad, completely bonkers, don't worry I'll tell you a scret, the best people are!

​In “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy starts her journey thinking she is entirely helpless while looking for a magical, all-powerful figure behind a curtain to solve her problems.

But as she walks that yellow brick road, she finds a community of misfits. Together, they discover a profound truth: the brain to think, the heart to love, and the courage to fight weren’t things the Wizard could hand them in a box. They already had them. The power was inside them all along—they just had to walk through the storm to find it.

​Look at “Wicked” and the story of Elphaba. She was a girl who spent her whole life being judged for the color of her skin and the unconventional nature of her magic. She tried to fit in, but she realized that the institutional wizardry of her world was built on lies. So, what did she do? She chose to fly. When she sings about "defying gravity," she isn't just performing a magic trick; she is making a conscious choice to trust her own internal compass over the expectations of society.

​Willy Wonka built a world out of pure imagination, a place where rivers are made of chocolate and the rules of physics are just polite suggestions. Wonka reminds us that true creation requires a bit of madness and a lot of play. He didn't hand his empire over to the greediest, the smartest, or the most privileged child. He gave it to Charlie—the one who still had a sense of wonder. Because if you want to change the world, you cannot look at it with cynical eyes. You have to look at it and see a canvas of infinite possibilities.

I challenge you:

​Don't just walk the path laid out for you. Question the rabbit holes. Lean on the friends who give you heart and courage. Never be afraid to defy gravity when the ground beneath you is wrong. And above all, keep a little bit of Wonka’s wonder in your pocket.

​After all, as the song goes: "Want to change the world? There's nothing to it."

A big heartfelt Thank you to Everyone with Dormont Arts, Dormont Council, Jennifer Claycomb Koehler, Daniele Fontaine Ventresca, Kim Rullo, Amy Constantine,

These great people had a huge part to play in making this possible. Thank you to everyone for coming to the art installation and for your continued support of local art.

Thank you to all of you,

Sincerly

Joshua E.K. Ruffing

I wanted to give an update of the pieces being created for Hillsdale Park this May, we are very busy creating and finishing pieces for the park installment!

This is a little sneak peak of a couple pieces that will be going into the installment. I can promise every piece will be super vibrant not primer grey!

Art In The Park with dormont arts is today!!!! Starting at 2pm in Dormont Park! Please stop out and see us. It is a free event to attend with music, art, food, and a great community to be a part of. There will be artists and vendors as well.

The Ruff Edge Forge and Metal Works LLC is a proud sponsor of art in the park. As an LGBTQIA inclusive buissiness and an independent artist, it brings me great joy to
be a part of the community, bringing visual art and joy to others!

Some new birds have flown in to be a part of Dormont's Art in the Park! The Ruff Edge Forge and Metal Works LLC is a proud sponsor, and we look forward to seeing many of our regular friends . We would love to meet some new friends!! Please stop out to see us next Saturday, September 6th, from 2 pm to 7 pm at Dormont Park!!!