Joel Sanderson was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1969. When he was nine years old his family returned to the family farm near Quincy, Michigan. It was there, in 1984 that he converted an old unused farm building into his blacksmith shop, enabling him to pursue his passion in hot metal. In 1993, he had the opportunity to work for blacksmith Michael Bendele, an experience that introduced Joel to the principles of power forging. In 1996, Joel moved to Ancram, New York, where he worked for Arrowsmith Forge. There he was exposed to machining and power forging by pressing and roll forging. Returning to Michigan a year later, he has since pursued his career of sculpting metal in his home studio where he began in his youth.

Joel works primarily in iron (mild steel) but also forges copper, bronze, stainless steel, as well as other metals that lend themselves to the methods he uses. Each element is heated and then formed by hammering, pressing, blending, and sinking to achieve the effect Joel intends. When the parts are jointed together the final form is polished, sanded, and finished with a sealant to protect it in its intended environment. About half of Joel's work is custom, site specific or architectural--designed, and fitted to a specific location. He also creates functional and nonfunctional sculptural pieces, which he sells through galleries. Joel lives with his wife and daughter near Quincy, Michigan.

The following galleries carry Joel's work:
*
Bier Gallery, Charlevoix, MI	2003-2008
Portals, LTD, Chicago, IL	2007-2008
Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH	2007-2008
The following are places Joel's work has been shown:
Crosby Gardens, Toledo OH	2000
Lima Arts Gallery, Lima, OH	2005
ABANA Seattle	2006
ABANA Richmond *	2004
Quad State	1999-2006
SOFA Chicago	2007
The following publications show Joel's work:
Ironwork Today, Inside and Out; by Dona Z. Meilach, 2006
The Anvil's Ring, Fall 2001
The Anvil's Ring, Fall 2002
The Anvil's Ring, Summer 2004
The Anvil's Ring, Spring 2005