Forged in the fire of collaboration and curiosity, Kelly Ludeking has spent more than three decades shaping metal, glass, and community through art. A 1997 graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD) with a BFA in Sculpture and Furniture Design, Ludeking first fell in love with the feral intensity of molten iron and the disciplined grace of fine craftsmanship. Those twin forces continue to define his work today.

Since his first pour, Kelly has participated in, facilitated, or hosted more than 300 iron pours across the country, blending performance, education, and artistry into unforgettable experiences. In 2008, he co-founded Ironhead Sculptural Services (ISS), a traveling foundry that brought the transformative magic of cast iron to universities, communities, and festivals nationwide. When ISS concluded in 2019, Kelly seamlessly integrated that legacy into KRL Metals Art Studio, expanding his work to include mentorship, consulting, and workshops that meet people wherever their creative spark begins.

Through KRL Metals Art Studio, Kelly designs and fabricates fine furniture and sculptures in iron, bronze, aluminum, glass, and welded found objects + steel, while also offering opportunities for others to participate in the creative process, from community medallion pours to hands-on welding workshops and custom commissions.

As academic access to foundry work has diminished, Kelly has become a sought-after consultant and problem-solver in the world of cast metals, helping artists and institutions design, build, and operate their own furnaces; troubleshoot complex metallurgical processes; and restore historic cast metal monuments. His expertise spans furnace design, foundry operations, and metal restoration, earning him recognition as both an innovator and a trusted craftsman in the national metal arts community.

In 2004, Kelly co-founded the Down on the Farm Iron Pour, an annual gathering on his family’s century-old Iowa farm that has grown into a vibrant, international event celebrating cast iron, community, and creative exchange for over twenty years.

Whether mentoring emerging artists, consulting on restoration projects, or transforming raw material into radiant form, Kelly continues to shape the future of cast metal art one pour, one spark, and one collaboration at a time.