CAN Art Handworks

09/07/2025

✨ Thank You ✨

C.A.N. Art Handworks extends our deepest gratitude to everyone who joined us for our 40th Anniversary Celebration and official Month of Design event and supporting our book, “Forging Identity: The Story of Carlos Nielbock’s Detroit” with author Paul Draus.

For 40 years, multidiscplinary master Carlos Nielbock — ornamental architectural master metal craftsman, designer, inventor, preservationist, historian, futurist, and visionary — has been shaping Detroit with beauty, sustainability, and innovation. This year’s celebration was especially meaningful as we also honor 15 years of Detroit Month of Design and 10 years of Detroit as a UNESCO City of Design.

We are truly thankful for all who came to celebrate this milestone with us, and we look forward to many more years of forging metal, creating beauty, and inspiring imagination in Detroit.

09/07/2025

09/06/2025

Celebrate 40 Years of C.A.N. Art Handworks, and metal arts, crafts, and design in Detroit🔥

📅 Saturday, September 6, 2025 | 10 AM–1 PM
📍 C.A.N. Art Handworks Studios • 2264 Wilkins St, Detroit, MI

This year marks 15 years of Design Core’s Detroit Month of Design and 10 years of Detroit’s UNESCO City of Design designation—and we’re celebrating with a special studio event honoring the legacy of C.A.N. Art Handworks and 40 years in Detroit

Since founding C.A.N. Art Handworks in Detroit, Carlos Nielbock has transformed Detroit’s industrial heritage into world-class design, public art, and cultural preservation. His multidisciplinary practice ranges from the experimental Rustbelt Art movement, created from reclaimed industrial materials, to highly skilled traditional ornamental architectural metalwork that safeguards and revitalizes historic craftsmanship for future generations.

Carlos Nielbock, master craftsman and UNESCO City of Design Global Ambassador, has dedicated over four decades to shaping Detroit’s creative and industrial legacy through metal arts.

His multidisciplinary practice spans experimental Rustbelt Art, site-specific public sculptures such as the Detroit Windmill patented wind turbine, Detroit Sign, I Love the D, and Unity Bell in Eastern Market, as well as historic ornamental metalwork restoration on iconic buildings like the Fox Theatre and Michigan Bell Building, and countless custom commissions of his signature ornamental architectural metalworks. . .from historic estate gates in Bloomfield Hills and gazebos in Indian Village.

His work also encompasses Gallery of Metals, a gallery and collection of metal arts ranging from Detroit to Benin, bridging local craftsmanship with global artistic traditions. Through his innovative and preservation-focused projects, he celebrates heritage, culture, and design excellence.

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Agenda includes:
C.A.N. Art Handworks Campus and studio tours inside Detroit’s premier metal arts workshop, led by Carlos Nielbock

🎨 Curated exhibition of metal sculptures and handcrafted works by Carlos Nielbock

📖 Book Reading & Conversation – Forging Identity: The Story of Carlos Nielbock’s Detroit with author Paul Draus

Join us for this rare opportunity to step inside the studio, meet the artist, and celebrate four decades of artistry rooted in craft, culture, and community.

👉 RSVP Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrating-40-years-of-can-art-handworks-in-detroit-tickets-1623435552439

Limited space available.

04/24/2024

How about that? Thank you.

Another one of our favorite places in Detroit that we love to take people to is found in the Eastern Market area. The D-E-T-R-O-I-T Sign, located at 2264 Wilkins Street (Greater Eastern Market District) was designed and fabricated by Master Craftsman, Designer, and Founder of CAN Art Handworks, Carlos Nielbock in 2013, utilizing upcycled metal remnants from previous projects.

This iconic landmark and metal masterpiece represents the historic mastery, skilled craftsmanship, and legacy of creative talent that earned Detroit the UNESCO City of Design designation as a hub for creative industries in the United States.

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04/11/2024

The D-E-T-R-O-I-T Sign History:

Master Metal Craftsman Carlos Nielbock began fabrication in June 2013. The iconic Detroit landmark features ornamental metal designs, incorporating a collection of upcycled metal remnants from previous projects produced by C.A.N. Art Handworks Inc. sourced directly from the City of Detroit.

D. Massive Scrollwork Joe Acheson Project; 3“ x 3/4” solid wrought iron left over from an estate property barrier.

E. Baroque Mesh Rolled Aluminum; Baroque mesh in angle frame art deco hinge plates.

T. Ornamental Metal in structural steel frame; Modern and traditional ornamental metal fabrication.

R. Hot Pierced Rolled Iron terrace Trellis from Bloomfield Hills; Hot pierced metal bending forging floral pre welding taps.

O. Power Emergency Steering Wheel from a steamship.

I. Base is stainless steel remnants.

T. Original I Beam -Iron Clad from Old City Hall; Modern and traditional ornamental metal fabrication.

Learn more at: http://canarthandworks.com