Innovation isn’t always new - it’s forged by hand, shaped by history, and sharpened by experience.
In this talk on innovation, artist and master ironworker Charlie Spademan explores creativity through the lens of making things by hand. Drawing on his decades-long career - from the raw, experimental art and music scene of the East Village in the late ’70s and ’80s to his architectural ironwork practice in Montclair- Charlie reframes innovation as an embodied, process-driven act rather than a buzzword. He shares how working with iron demands patience, problem-solving, and deep attention to material, and how those same principles apply to innovation in any field. Through stories, craft, and lived experience, Charlie invites us to slow down, trust the process, and rethink what it really means to create something new.
About the speaker
Charlie Spademan is an artist living in Montclair, NJ. His focus is primarily on ironwork, particularly on hand forging. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Art for four years from 1974 to 1978, then moved to New York and embedded himself in the East Village music and art scene of the late70’s and 80’s. He moved to Montclair in 1995 and has focused on hand-forging architectural ironwork, as well as creating objects in a broad variety of other materials. He has numerous commissioned works throughout New Jersey and New York.
Favorite quotes from this talk
Hosted by
Lackawanna Station
1 Lackawanna Plaza
Montclair, New Jersey United States 07042
Date
Partners
Lackawanna Station
RecRoom
Possessed by Coffee
Entwined Studio
Montclair Candle Co.
Brave Leadership Group
Overall Builds
Higher Education Staff Hope Collective
Furry Flea Studio
Social Media Manager Matt Nazario-Miller
Volunteer Rockstar maila arzadon
Volunteer Rockstar Jennifer Fuchs
Photographer Angie McCaffrey
Host Michelle Ward
Graphic Designer Eva Darron
