Paul Iannelli

Paul Iannelli has lived in Providence most of his life. He has worked as a laborer, community member, National Guardsman, and union steward. At Providence Steel and Iron he was a welder, punch-operator, and truck driver. When Clay Rockefeller bought the site, Iannelli stayed on as property manager for The Steelyard, which turned the old fabrication shop into a studio space and community center. He maintains the larger equipment, offers instruction and advice, and serves as the site historian. Iannelli has seen both the decline and resurgence of interest in The Steelyard and Woonasquatucket Valley area, and notes the parallel between the efforts of contemporary artists and the craftsmanship of the steelworkers of an earlier era.