Gallery & Artisan Showcase

Gallery & Artisan Showcase at Water’s Edge

January 9, 2026 | An Evening of Craft, Fire & Forest

Please join us at our first-ever Gallery & Artisan Showcase, an immersive evening celebrating artistry that’s rooted in nature, tradition, and time-honored skill. 

Throughout the evening, guests are invited to dine, wander, and engage as craftsmanship and conversation come together beneath the trees. Water’s Edge will provide a curated dinner spread designed to be savored, complete with smoked meats from Smokin’ Steer BBQ & Catering. You can look forward to meeting these exceptional regional artisans—each working directly in their element. 

Chris Condello Landscape Photographer is an award-winning fine art landscape photographer based in Butler County, Pennsylvania, and is best known for his work along the quiet edges of daylight in Moraine State Park. He also photographs McConnells Mill State Park and rural locations throughout the county, capturing fleeting light, seasonal shifts, and the stillness that lives just before and after the sun.

Chris’s photographs and calendars will be on display as a gallery inside The Lodge and available for purchase. This is a very photo-friendly venue—so feel free to bring your camera. He’ll definitely have his!

Jared Ondovchik, owner of Artifact Metalworks, began his journey as a bladesmith when necessity and curiosity drove him to forge his first knife after his pocketknife went missing. Today, his thriving business specializes in creating hand-forged custom knives and artisan metalwork that combine beauty with functionality. His work caters to chefs, outdoorsmen, farmers, adventurers, home cooks, and artisans seeking high-quality, durable blades.

Artifact Metalworks feels like a dance between fire and steel, where sparks fly and raw metal slowly gives in to skilled hands. Rooted in traditional blacksmithing, each hand-forged piece carries the marks of heat, hammer, and time.

At the showcase, Jared will be live forging, inviting guests to gather close and watch the magic unfold. His work will be on display and available for purchase as well.

Selfbows at Water’s Edge is led by Jeremy “Jed” Weber, and each bow is carved by hand using natural materials gathered locally and often directly from the Water’s Edge property. Building a selfbow carries the feel of a craft from another time. The result is a functional work of art that reflects patience, skill, and a deep connection to one of man's oldest technologies.

During this showcase event, Jed will demonstrate some of his work to illustrate what participants can expect to learn and create during his hands-on workshops. This opportunity to join the builder as he shares his passion, invites guests to slow down and step into the rhythm of this ancient craft. Participants learn not only how to shape a bow, but how to work thoughtfully with only hand tools and raw, natural materials.

While the next selfbow workshop has yet to be scheduled, we look forward to planning one soon. If the skill of bow building is interesting to you this will be a great opportunity to meet Jed and see what it's all about!