Sculptor re-creates himself as an artist
East Brunswick man turns obsession into his life’s work
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff Edmund Spiro stands in his living room in East Brunswick amid some of his metal and wood pieces. He is the featured guest during next week’s Meet the Sculptor event at the township’s library.

When Edmund Spiro, of East Brunswick, decided what he wanted to do with his life, he was already in his mid-40s. He enrolled in college and studied art.

Today, the octogenarian still works full time on his art pieces. In fact, he draws on nothing more than his own imagination to create sculptures of people, and he has produced hundreds of works over the years.

Those wanting a glimpse of his imagination can stop by his workshop at the East Brunswick Public Library at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8. During the event, titled Meet the Sculptor, Spiro will present a “small studio” and explain his work. Admission is free.

“I feel I owe this to the community,” he said. “People are so into two-dimensional work that they lack the three-dimensional vision, which I hope to instill.”

Spiro has worked full time as a sculptor for about 20 years, he said, and has won numerous awards for his works. The sculptures also have found many homes aside from his own.

For instance, a doctor in Bradley Beach has a 21-piece collection in his home.

“He calls his house the ‘Spiro Museum,’ ” Spiro said.

Another doctor, from Princeton, also recently purchased one of his sculptures, for which the average sale price is about $400, Spiro said.

“The sculptures are mainly original, unique and one-of-a-kind,” he said. “I finish the product all by myself. There’s a lot of passion attached to the sculptures.”

He’s not kidding about the work coming from his imagination.

“There are no models,” he said. “It’s a contemporary kind of sculpture. The ideas come from parts I buy or find.”

The sculptures, which are made of wood and metal, come from a man with a real passion for his work.

“It’s an obsession, one of the most magnificent obsessions I have,” he said. “It’s a 24-hour obsession. It has grown and just taken over.”

Spiro is no stranger to East Brunswick, having lived off Sullivan Way for nearly 50 years. He is also a member of the township’s Visual Arts Commission.

He recently won a blue ribbon of merit at the commission’s outdoor Visual Arts Celebration, held at the municipal complex in June. The show, going into its third year, is really part of a larger mission.

“We are trying to bring an awareness and culture of the residents of East Brunswick to the arts,” he said.

But his hometown isn’t the only place he has been recognized. He recently received a Phillip’s Mill Sculpture Prize, as well as a Hudson Artist Association award. Both were through juried shows, and Spiro won first prizes in each. The blue ribbon prizes came with $250 for the Phillips show and $100 for the Hudson show.

“I have blue ribbons all over the house,” he said.

It’s not all about competition, though. Spiro said he also has a number of “fun” projects — among them are creating sculptures of butterflies, small dogs and roosters. In fact, the commission acquired the rooster as a symbol for the outdoor shows, he said.

Spiro said he got into sculpting while in his 40s by working with wood, and then metal. Finally, he united the two for his modern works.

At 45, Spiro decided to attend college, studying at Kean University, Union. He said he was unsure of what major to choose, but people told him to study art for his retirement and with the possibility of teaching.

He graduated with honors, and then received his master’s degree. All this while raising a family. He and his wife, Beatrice, have two daughters, Laurie and Carol.

“I majored in painting, really,” he admitted. “I started painting, and when I left I started to work with wood. I did chiseling in wood.”

He began working professionally as a chiseler and also tried teaching, neither of which worked out, he said.

That was a blessing in disguise because he had more time to sculpt. His works have been sold to the Sayreville Public Library, Newark Museum and a museum in Atlantic City.