L. Brent Kington (born 1934 in Topeka, Kansas[1]) is a visual artist working in blacksmithing and sculpture. He is also an art educator.
"L. Brent Kington is frequently hailed as the man responsible for the start of the blacksmithing revival of the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a product of the studio craft movement in jewelry and hollowware, teaching at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he mentored and entire generation of metalsmiths including, especially, Gary Lee Noffke.[2] His works have been displayed at various galleries, including the Southern Illinois Art & Artisan Center, the Illinois State Museum's Chicago and Lockport Galleries. A major exhibition is scheduled to begin in March 2010 at the Illinois State Museum's main facility in Springfield.[3] He served as the first president of the Society of North American Goldsmiths in 1969.[4][5]
Kington has received fellowships from The National Endowment for the Arts (1975 and 1982) and the Illinois Arts Council (1985).[6] He has been awarded the Gold Medal from the American Craft Council.[7]