Born in 1934 in Topeka, Kansas, L. Brent Kington was widely recognized and honored as a pioneer in the resurgence of blacksmithing as an art form. Kington’s body of work included a selection of small, whimsical, and sometimes humorous toys, which demonstrated an exceptional attention to detail and total mastery of the craft. He attended the University of Kansas, Lawrence, and Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he received his MFA in 1961. Kington was named a professor emeritus at the School of Art and Design, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1997, where he served as professor, head of the metalsmithing program, and director of the School of Art and Design. Among Kington’s other honors: National Endowment for the Arts fellowship (1976- 80); trustee, National Ornamental Metal Museum (1987- 2000); Distinguished Member, Society of North American Goldsmiths (1982); and Award for Distinguished Service, Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America (1983). He received the American Craft Council’s Gold Medal in 2000. L. Brent Kington died on February 7, 2013, in Makanda, Illinois.