Iron woman forges career in blacksmithing at Red Hook studio
Marsha Trattner runs She-Weld out of her studio in Red Hook following in the footsteps of blacksmiths before her.
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Blacksmithing has traditionally been a male dominated profession and art, but in Red Hook, an iron woman is breaking down gender norms in this craft.
Marsha Trattner runs She-Weld out of her studio in Red Hook following in the footsteps of blacksmiths before her.
"This actual studio was a blacksmith shop in the 1800s," she said.
She's been black smithing for three decades, and said she found her passion for shaping metal in the 90s by accident.
"I met a woman who was doing it with her husband, and she taught me," Trattner said.
Now you can find her work in many forms across New York City.
"I make here a lot of mainly home furnishings and steel cookware, as well as a gates," she said.
Trattnor said she also makes jewelry and once made 10 trash cans for NYC sanitation.
"That was amazing to make those," she said.
It all starts with a sketch that becomes the framework for how Trattner shapes the metal.
"Sometimes just in the moment of the forge, it's so peaceful and I feel like I'm just making an ink drawing," she said.
If you are interested in learning how to blacksmith, Marsha offers some classes in Sunset Park. She also has an eight-week session coming up this June at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.
Click here for more information.
