I was like what???
Turns out, it's actually there... LOL
What a blast!
Showing posts with label Press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Press. Show all posts
The Advocate Magazine Fun Bit
A funny thing happened this weekend; I get a message from Travis: "was just at the gym doing cardio reading the advocate...saw your quote about Amy Acker:-)"
I was like what???
Turns out, it's actually there... LOL
What a blast!
I was like what???
Turns out, it's actually there... LOL
What a blast!
80 Years Later...
Potter Art Metal fixes fixtures 80 years later
 |
Brothers Baron Potter and Richard Potter III work on light
fixtures at their family business, Potter Art Metal Studios.
The 90-year-old company is restoring lights it
crafted generations ago. Photo by Can Türkyilmaz
|
Woodrow Wilson High School cost $700,000 to build, between 1926 and 1928, and it was the most expensive school building in Dallas. The school board hired Potter Art Metal Studios to craft detailed pendant lights and lanterns for the school’s exterior to give it distinctive ornamentation. And when J.L. Long Middle School opened in 1933, custom Potter fixtures graced its exterior, too.
Now both schools are undergoing renovations, and once again, the architects called on Potter to refurbish the light fixtures the family-owned company created more than 80 years ago. Richard Potter, the company’s third-generation owner, becomes animated talking about the project. Aside from approximately 30 outdoor fixtures for both schools, Potter also is refurbishing 21 lights from the Woodrow auditorium.
“They’ll be gorgeous,” he says. “You couldn’t appreciate the detail before.”
Workers clean and repair the pieces before adding a chemical patina to darken the details and finally, seal them with an acrylic lacquer. They’re also being rewired. A few of the fixtures must be replaced, and workers are replicating the 1920s designs.
The fixtures at Woodrow, built in the Elizabethan style, are gothic. And the fixtures from Long are art deco. The project is estimated to cost about $100,000. Potter says he doesn’t know how much the lights originally cost.
This isn’t the first time Potter has been asked to restore its own work, which appears in landmarks such as government buildings and White Rock Lake, as well as countless homes.
Unfortunately, the renovation project doesn’t have the funding to refurbish 10 art deco pendant lamps in the J.L. Long auditorium. They would cost about $5,000 a piece to restore, and the architects have opted to instead purchase new lights. But Potter and designer Izabela Wojcik are hoping that Long boosters might unite and somehow raise $50,000 to save the old light fixtures. For almost 80 years, Long students have been looking up at those artfully crafted pendants, and it would be a shame to replace them with something inferior.
“Off-the-shelf fixtures are not going to look as good,” Wojcik says. “These looked good 100 years ago, and they’re always going to look good.”
by Rachel Stone
February 2012
Living Local in Lakewood/East Dallas
***For more information on my designs and the ornamental ironwork and lighting our metalworkers fabricate right here in Dallas, Texas go to www.potterartmetal.com
***For more information on my designs and the ornamental ironwork and lighting our metalworkers fabricate right here in Dallas, Texas go to www.potterartmetal.com
Metal Mavens
Potter Art, which specializes in light fixtures, created this Gothic-style exterior ceiling fan and chandelier in solid brass and copper to serve as a dramatic focal point for a gazebo. The company relocated to a larger showroom at 4827 Memphis St. earlier this spring. To learn more about what it has to offer, stop by the studio, go online to http://www.potterartmetal.com, or call (214) 821-1419. Phoenix Home & Garden, May 2007 issue.
Wrought With Possibilities: Dallas Morning News
Dallas Morning News
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Local Talent
Wrought with possibilities
by Rita Cook (social contributor)
Polish-American metal artist and designer Izabela Wojcik, 31, says she finds inspiration for her work just about anywhere. Really, the possibilities are endless, and my ideas come from maybe seeing a fixture to sometimes even noticing a funny clasp on a shoe," she says.
Wojcik works for Potter Art Metal Studios in Dallas, designing custom pieces such as chandeliers, gazebos and even staircases, and doing everything except twisting the metal.
"I don't specifically do the metal work, because I would break my arms doing what the guys do here," she says.
She has cultivated her knowledge of metals, taking into consideration not only the beauty of a piece, but also its functionality. When designing a piece in metal, you have to know how the metal will work together and to what extent they can be manipulated," she says.
She starts with paper and pencil and sometimes uses a computer. After her design is completed, company meal artisans forge the pieces.
The Potter studios did the metalwork on many historic homes in the Lakewood neighborhood, as well as light fixtures at Fair Park and White Rock Lake, among other Dallas landmarks. Wojcik, who received a liberal arts degree in 2001, has been with the company since 2005.
She says clients seem to be asking for interior railings, doors, chandeliers and exterior lanterns, usually in wrought iron. She says that's the strongest metal, and also a good choice for cost-conscious homeowners. She says this season's colors are either chocolate rust or natural wrought-iron look.
The most unusual item she's designed since working at Potter would be the Art Nouveau fireplace mantel for developer Trammell Crow.
"Between that first drawing and when the piece was actually completed about six months later, lots of changes were made," she says. The finished piece - 600 pounds of hand-wrought and polished iron - "looked like a piece of museum-quality art for sure."
Pieces for her work range from $800 for a candle wall sconce to $3,750 for a lantern to $18,000 for a bronze table.
She's currently working on a pine-tree interior railing to be made from wrought iron.
"The client for this particular piece is surrounded by pine trees and wanted to bring the outside into their home. The pinecones, needles and tree-branch textures are amazingly realistic; we even made little baby pinecones among the needles," she says.
Wojcik also continues her personal artistic pursuits, creating bronze sculptures, oil and acrylic paintings, pencil drawings and glass art.
"Unless I'm specifically commissioned for a project, I really never have any idea where a piece will take me," she says. "It is not until after the artwork is completed and I have had time to take it in that I can let the feelings come to me and realize what has been put on canvas or molded in clay.
Izabela Wojcik's work is available through Potter Art Metal Studios, 4827 Memphis St., Dallas; 214-821-1419. See samples of her work at www.potterartmetal.com or www.belaart.com
Rita Cook is an Arlington-based freelance writer
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Local Talent
Wrought with possibilities
by Rita Cook (social contributor)
Polish-American metal artist and designer Izabela Wojcik, 31, says she finds inspiration for her work just about anywhere. Really, the possibilities are endless, and my ideas come from maybe seeing a fixture to sometimes even noticing a funny clasp on a shoe," she says.Wojcik works for Potter Art Metal Studios in Dallas, designing custom pieces such as chandeliers, gazebos and even staircases, and doing everything except twisting the metal.
"I don't specifically do the metal work, because I would break my arms doing what the guys do here," she says.
She has cultivated her knowledge of metals, taking into consideration not only the beauty of a piece, but also its functionality. When designing a piece in metal, you have to know how the metal will work together and to what extent they can be manipulated," she says.
She starts with paper and pencil and sometimes uses a computer. After her design is completed, company meal artisans forge the pieces.
The Potter studios did the metalwork on many historic homes in the Lakewood neighborhood, as well as light fixtures at Fair Park and White Rock Lake, among other Dallas landmarks. Wojcik, who received a liberal arts degree in 2001, has been with the company since 2005.
She says clients seem to be asking for interior railings, doors, chandeliers and exterior lanterns, usually in wrought iron. She says that's the strongest metal, and also a good choice for cost-conscious homeowners. She says this season's colors are either chocolate rust or natural wrought-iron look.
The most unusual item she's designed since working at Potter would be the Art Nouveau fireplace mantel for developer Trammell Crow.
"Between that first drawing and when the piece was actually completed about six months later, lots of changes were made," she says. The finished piece - 600 pounds of hand-wrought and polished iron - "looked like a piece of museum-quality art for sure."
Pieces for her work range from $800 for a candle wall sconce to $3,750 for a lantern to $18,000 for a bronze table.
She's currently working on a pine-tree interior railing to be made from wrought iron.
"The client for this particular piece is surrounded by pine trees and wanted to bring the outside into their home. The pinecones, needles and tree-branch textures are amazingly realistic; we even made little baby pinecones among the needles," she says.
Wojcik also continues her personal artistic pursuits, creating bronze sculptures, oil and acrylic paintings, pencil drawings and glass art.
"Unless I'm specifically commissioned for a project, I really never have any idea where a piece will take me," she says. "It is not until after the artwork is completed and I have had time to take it in that I can let the feelings come to me and realize what has been put on canvas or molded in clay.
Izabela Wojcik's work is available through Potter Art Metal Studios, 4827 Memphis St., Dallas; 214-821-1419. See samples of her work at www.potterartmetal.com or www.belaart.com
Rita Cook is an Arlington-based freelance writer
Celebrating Over 25 Years in White Rock
Read the White Rock Lake Weekly article by Shari Stern:
Celebrating 25 Years or More in White Rock
Walking into Potter Art Metal Studios is like being transported to another country – Italy, Poland, maybe Germany. That’s because the craft dates back to the Old World. Graceful stairways, idyllic fountains, rustic lanterns, spectacular light fixtures, functional tables that are works of art, dramatic etageres, life-like animal sculptures, unique sconces, bird houses, pot racks and so much more in this treasure trove evoke pure awe. It is a melting pot of cultures, just like our city. When Alexander Potter stepped off the boat into America, he brought his knowledge of Old World hand metalworking with him, settled in East Dallas, and passed the craft along to his son, Henry. Neighbors of the pioneering artisan admired the lights he crafted for his porch, and wanted to purchase his lanterns. Not being a trophy wife, Mrs. Potter showed the product to a buyer at Sanger Brothers Department Store (precursor to Sanger Harris), who placed an order for 100 lanterns. The Potters had turned Henry’s hobby of making small wrought iron lanterns in his East Dallas garage into a thriving business.
Today, Alexander’s great-grandson, Richard Potter, is president of the privately held company, celebrating 90 years in business this year. This family has the formula down. A fifth-generation Dallasite, Richard lives by White Rock, where, while biking around the lake, he enjoys seeing his studio’s art as part of the tranquil scenery. Potter chief artist and designer, Izabela Wojcik, who is originally from Poland, also lives by the lake, and is a graduate of Lake Highlands High School.
Some of Potter’s pieces at White Rock Lake, many of which have been there for generations, include bridge and post lanterns, sconces for the Sunset House, and sconces for the Big Thicket, along with its chandeliers, which were created by Richard’s grandfather, and restored by Richard. Recently, the original lights on the bridge at Garland Road that Alexander built were not working because vines were growing inside them. So Richard kept after the City to trim the vines until the lights worked again. Potter does its own gas and electrical wiring.
Potter’s art graces some of the most recognizable Dallas homes, as well as high-end residential and commercial projects, including homes, municipal buildings and churches around the country. One of the oldest metal studios in the Southwest, Potter Art Metal Studios’ work can be seen at the historic Clifford Hutsell and Charles Dilbeck homes in Lakewood, Trammell Crow’s home, the Highland Park Library, the Town of Highland Park and Fair Park. Other projects include Highland Park United Methodist Church, the Hunt Oil building, Stoneleigh Hotel and Christ the King Catholic Church. Much of this décor, fashioned from steel, brass, bronze, copper and aluminum, will become heirlooms through the years.
Filling orders around the country, Potter sends a team of artisans to a location where they work as long as it takes to get the job done – sometimes a few weeks, with a recent project in Aspen, where they created and installed copper lighting, chandeliers and fireplace screens. For a job in San Francisco, a team first went to take measurements.
They came back and built an interior stair railing and exterior balcony and stair rails in the shop, then went back to install them. They had a Golden Gate Bridge view while working, which took most of the summer. Somebody’s got to do it!
“The metal artisans enjoy what they do. They like working with raw metal, copper, brass, glass and creating functional art. They are nit-picky on quality. I let them make their own decisions,” Richard said.
“I have enough trained artisans to oversee helpers.”
Of Potter’s 30 employees, one of whom has been with him for 15 years, most are from European countries, including Poland, Germany and Czechoslovakia.
“We work with so many different kinds of people. We created the six-foot-tall bell tower, crafting copper finials on four corners, on the Cathedral of Guadalupe downtown on Ross and Pearl, where my grandfather got married.” Potter continued, “I’ve carried on working for churches in which my grandfather built the original altars.”
Potter said the business’ mission is to continue to design the finest in metalwork and functional art – “jewelry for the home.”
Potter, who flew helicopters right up until he crashed one, attended St. Marks School of Texas, before graduating from Highland Park High School. He earned a business degree from SMU.
He grew up in his grandfather’s, then his father’s shop, creating his first metal art when 11-years-old. He lost his grandfather while in his early 20s. Potter’s 21-year-old triplets work in the studio during the summer. His daughter, who graduated from Bishop Lynch High School, is at the University of Colorado. One son goes to Texas Tech and the other attends Richland College. “I know I’m fortunate to work at what I enjoy, and to have people around me who love their work, too. I have a great team of talented, loyal artisans who bring unique backgrounds and finely-honed skills to our creations.”
Potter Art Metal Studios is located at 4827 Memphis Street, Dallas, Texas 75207. The showroom and studio are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit www.potterartmetal.com or call 214-821-1419.
Ideas In Action
Dallas Business Journal - August 6-12, 2010
IDEAS IN ACTION
Iron Man
POTTER ART META STUDIO FORGES WORKS OF FUNCTIONAL ART WHILE GROWING A 90-YEAR-OLD FAMILY BUSINESS LEGACY
BY CHRIS CYREK | STAFF WRITER
Showers of sparks, the clank of hammer against anvil, the whir of a high-speed circular saw. These are some of the sights and sounds in Richard Potter’s Potter Art Metal Studio, a 90-year-old family enterprise. The high-end metal shop, started by Potter’s grandfather Henry in 1920, has developed a reputation for quality and artistry.
Evidence for this can be found on the bustling work floor: soaring stair railings that appear to be entwined by flaring pine cones, driveway gates that close to form the branches of an oak tree, a chandelier that looks as if it was spirited away from a hobbit’s hole.
“The quality and detail that I put into a thing,” says owner Richard Potter, a fourth-generation metalworker, “is, I think, fairly reflected in the price.”
The focus on high-end work has allowed the shop to grow despite prevailing economic pressures. “Plus, people are coming directly to the manufacturer, so they’re not dealing with a retail store markup.” Potter sells directly from the shop to customers nationwide.
The Metalwork – a typical fan/chandelier installation can run up to $10,000 – has helped Potter Metal withstand the recession. Lean times were met with shared sacrifices as costs were cut.
A rebuilt website, new advertising initiatives and positive press concerning recent high-profile projects – such as an 11-foot tall chandelier built for the council chambers in University Park and a strikingly original fireplace built for longtime friend Trammell Crow – also are helping the studio get Potter’s name out. “More and more contacts are from out of town and out of state,” Potter says.
Potter grew up in the shop, once located on Knox-Henderson at Central Expressway.
“When I was a kid, we didn’t have computers, barely any TV. The fun thing for me was coming down here and spending time in the back, watching the guys making different things,” he says.
Potter took over the shop in the 1970s, continuing a business his father, grandfather and great-grandfather worked in. Three years ago, Potter moved the shop to a larger location off of Interstate 35.
The addition of creative director Izabela Wojcik in 2005 shaped a new direction for the studio, although Potter points out that many of their techniques his crew uses would be recognizable to his grandfather.
Founder Henry Potter began the business after meeting a salesman for Sanger-Harris (now Foley’s), who ordered 100 light fixtures after seeing Potter building lights for his house. The business quickly grew, and some of the original work done by Henry Potter can still be found around Dallas, such as lighting fixtures that dot Fair Park.
World War II brought a new focus for the business, which shifted production to building aircraft parts. The company’s payroll swelled to hundreds of employees, and the good times continued into the post-war boom, as the Potter studios left its mark on large churches, country clubs and homes throughout the ‘50s.
The family legacy continues today, says Richard Potter. His three children – triplets – spend their summers in the shop, learning the family craft. It’s a point of pride for Potter.
“I’m not here (working) as a hobby,” he says. “I’m putting out the best product, made in the most efficient way.”
Customers at Potter Metal tend to come back, time and time again. “We get clients that are around for years,” says Wojcik.
“They definitely do stand out,” says Kathy Hatcher, an interior designer wo has worked closely with Potter for a number of years. “Their metalwork is unsurpassed.” Hatcher praises the metal studio’s versatility and ability to work in styles and materilals as varied as art deco, Spanish and alabaster.
“Every last bit of what they do is hand-forged, and it’s made to last for centuries, and for generations,” she says.
Potter is proud of his shop’s legacy and of its ability to custom-build products to specification.
“The only thing that I won’t do is drop my quality,” Potter says. “I’ve had some places that I as doing fixtures for, and they asked if we could do some cheaper pieces. I said no. Look, I am constantly on top of my guys to build things the best way possible. The last thing I’m going to tell them to do is to go do the opposite.”
IDEAS IN ACTION
Iron Man
POTTER ART META STUDIO FORGES WORKS OF FUNCTIONAL ART WHILE GROWING A 90-YEAR-OLD FAMILY BUSINESS LEGACY
BY CHRIS CYREK | STAFF WRITER
Showers of sparks, the clank of hammer against anvil, the whir of a high-speed circular saw. These are some of the sights and sounds in Richard Potter’s Potter Art Metal Studio, a 90-year-old family enterprise. The high-end metal shop, started by Potter’s grandfather Henry in 1920, has developed a reputation for quality and artistry.
Evidence for this can be found on the bustling work floor: soaring stair railings that appear to be entwined by flaring pine cones, driveway gates that close to form the branches of an oak tree, a chandelier that looks as if it was spirited away from a hobbit’s hole.
“The quality and detail that I put into a thing,” says owner Richard Potter, a fourth-generation metalworker, “is, I think, fairly reflected in the price.”
The focus on high-end work has allowed the shop to grow despite prevailing economic pressures. “Plus, people are coming directly to the manufacturer, so they’re not dealing with a retail store markup.” Potter sells directly from the shop to customers nationwide.
The Metalwork – a typical fan/chandelier installation can run up to $10,000 – has helped Potter Metal withstand the recession. Lean times were met with shared sacrifices as costs were cut.
A rebuilt website, new advertising initiatives and positive press concerning recent high-profile projects – such as an 11-foot tall chandelier built for the council chambers in University Park and a strikingly original fireplace built for longtime friend Trammell Crow – also are helping the studio get Potter’s name out. “More and more contacts are from out of town and out of state,” Potter says.
Potter grew up in the shop, once located on Knox-Henderson at Central Expressway.
“When I was a kid, we didn’t have computers, barely any TV. The fun thing for me was coming down here and spending time in the back, watching the guys making different things,” he says.
Potter took over the shop in the 1970s, continuing a business his father, grandfather and great-grandfather worked in. Three years ago, Potter moved the shop to a larger location off of Interstate 35.
The addition of creative director Izabela Wojcik in 2005 shaped a new direction for the studio, although Potter points out that many of their techniques his crew uses would be recognizable to his grandfather.
Founder Henry Potter began the business after meeting a salesman for Sanger-Harris (now Foley’s), who ordered 100 light fixtures after seeing Potter building lights for his house. The business quickly grew, and some of the original work done by Henry Potter can still be found around Dallas, such as lighting fixtures that dot Fair Park.
World War II brought a new focus for the business, which shifted production to building aircraft parts. The company’s payroll swelled to hundreds of employees, and the good times continued into the post-war boom, as the Potter studios left its mark on large churches, country clubs and homes throughout the ‘50s.
The family legacy continues today, says Richard Potter. His three children – triplets – spend their summers in the shop, learning the family craft. It’s a point of pride for Potter.
“I’m not here (working) as a hobby,” he says. “I’m putting out the best product, made in the most efficient way.”
Customers at Potter Metal tend to come back, time and time again. “We get clients that are around for years,” says Wojcik.
“They definitely do stand out,” says Kathy Hatcher, an interior designer wo has worked closely with Potter for a number of years. “Their metalwork is unsurpassed.” Hatcher praises the metal studio’s versatility and ability to work in styles and materilals as varied as art deco, Spanish and alabaster.
“Every last bit of what they do is hand-forged, and it’s made to last for centuries, and for generations,” she says.
Potter is proud of his shop’s legacy and of its ability to custom-build products to specification.
“The only thing that I won’t do is drop my quality,” Potter says. “I’ve had some places that I as doing fixtures for, and they asked if we could do some cheaper pieces. I said no. Look, I am constantly on top of my guys to build things the best way possible. The last thing I’m going to tell them to do is to go do the opposite.”
Dallas Home Design
The good times working with Brad Oldham:) ]
Dallas Modern Luxury
The two door hardware pieces directly to the right of the Dallas Modern Luxury Magazine cover were sculpted by me. One is a bronze door back plate , with a herd of elephants sculpted on it; the head of the elephant on in front of the line is comes out and his trunk turns into the door lever. The piece next to that is a door pull, which looks like a Griffin.
F|D Luxe: Local Color
FD Luxe (Dallas Morning News)- published October 01, 2010
Local color
FROM THE REVIVAL OF A HISTORIC MINERAL WELLS HOTEL TO A DESIGN-OBSESSED DALLAS BLOGGER'S LATEST FAVES, WE'VE GOT THE INSIDE LINE
BY KRISTIE RAMIREZ
Iron men For the detail-obsessed there's no better place to turn for house jewelry then Potter Art Metal Studios (potterartmetal.com). Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the fourth-generation-owned metal studio hasn't changed much in the way it hand-forges sconces, gates and chandeliers, save for moving from its home on Henderson Avenue to bigger digs near the Design District in 2007. The family tradition was passed to owner Richard Potter Jr. (his triplets work alongside him every summer), who remains deeply dedicated to the craft of custom-only pieces for clients. The heirloom designs are so deeply woven into the fabric of Dallas that they turn up in both amazing variety and vast in different neighborhoods - cinematic swirls of stair railing in Lakewood, painstakingly detailed iron gates in Highland Park and intricate light fixtures in Fair Park. Guests of the 37th annual Cattle Baron's Ball on Oct. 9 will have a chance to bid on a bespoke vineyard-inspired chandelier (left) from the lauded metal studios as part of the evening's fundraising auction.(A little PS. This is really neat. There is an article on the next page, The fabulous Baker reborn, which talks about the 80 year old Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells which is going to be renovated. Anyway, they talk about the Stoneigh Hotel in Dallas which was also renovated by Jeff Trigger... so the neat part is that Richard's grandfather originally did the metalwork for it and the Baker Hotel in Dallas (not sure about the Mineral Wells one)... and we recently re-furbished the Stoneligh Hotel Metalwork and added another stair rail section to it. Just a bit of neat!)
Potter Art Metal Studios celebrates 90 years of providing jewelry for the home
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Park Cities News
Potter Art Metal Studios celebrates 90 years of providing jewelry for the home
Potter Art Metal Studios is proudly celebrating 90 years of making custom creations in metal. Designers and fabricators of ornamental metalwork and lighting, their work graces high-end residential and commercial projects, as well as municipal buildings and churches around the country. Potter is one of the oldest metal studios in Dallas and the southwest and produces 'functional art' destined to become heirlooms, including architectural, lighting, furnishings or other products fashioned from steel, brass, bronze, copper and aluminum.
Designers, architects, builders and individuals have long considered Potter Art Metal Studios as the go-to source for custom metal work. Products and services include: gas and electric lanterns; interior and exterior doors, gates and fencing; interior and exterior railings; chandeliers, fandeleirs, sconces, pendants and pot racks; fireplace screens and tools; gazebos; fountains and sculptures; ecclesiastical and steeple crosses, chalices and votive stands; window and door grilles; interior and exterior table bases; ornamental Vent-aHood covers, as well as historical restorations."We have a reputation for crafting almost anything a client can dream of in metal. We tell people that if we can't create it, you probably won't be able to get it done anywhere else. And, if we can't do it right, we just won't do it," Potter Art Metal Studios Owner Richard Potter said. "We have other shops constantly referring people to us for the toughest, most unusual jobs because they are unable to take them on. We get creative and find ways to accomplish these tough tasks well."
The metalwork studio's heritage dates back to the 1920's when Henry Cornwell Potter turned his hobby of making small wrought iron lanterns in his East Dallas garage into the thriving business. This was a skill he learned from his father Alexander Potter, who upon coming to America, brought with him knowledge of Old World hand metal working. Friends and neighbors began to take notice of Henry's craftsmanship and started purchasing his lanterns. After his wife showed one of the lanterns to a buyer at Sanger Harris Department Store, an order of 100 was placed. The rest, as they say, is history.
In 1924, Henry moved the business into a commercial space and established the studio on Henderson Avenue where the business flourished for more then 80 years. after outgrowing this space, Potter Art Metal Studios moved to its current 12,000-square-foot operation near the Dallas Design District in 2007. While growing in size and scope, however, Potter Art Metal still holds fast to the studio's tradition of custom work. In a nation built on mass production, where assembling existing components is the standard way to build, Potter creates pieces as individual as those built by the Old World blacksmiths.
Richard Potter, Henry's grandson, maintains his grandfather's legacy by making products that will become antiques and heirlooms of the future. he often involves his 20-year-old triplets during the summer months, in the hopes they may one day carry the family torch. "For four generations, we have maintained a reputation of exceeding our customers' expectations. We see this time and again as our clients return and often refer to us as their friends," Potter said.
"In my opinion Potter Art Metal is unsurpassed in both quality and art design. Amazingly, the style of art metal a home may need, or that one may dream of... Potter can design and deliver," said Kathy Hatcher of hatcher Design Group. "and, the icing on the cake is the pleasure of working with such friendly and accommodating people!"
Through the yars, Potter Art Metal Studios' work has graced some of Dallas' most recognizable homes and institutions including the famous Clifford Hutsell and Charles Dilbeck houses in Lakewood that are adorned with Potter metalwork, as well as the ornate fireplace produced for Trammell Crow's home. In addition, Potter's work can be seen at the Highland Park Library and around the Town of Highlahd Park, White Rock Lake [and Fair Park [light fixtures at the Hall of State]. Other notable projects include the Hunt Oil Building in down town Dallas, Omni Hotel in Fort Worth, The Stoneleigh Hotel, Highland Park United Methodist Church and Christ The King Catholic Church.
Potter Art Metal Studios may be famous for beautiful scrollwork and custom gas and electric light fixtures, but they can also uncover hidden treasures by refurbishing older metal pieces. UL certified, Potter can turn rusty, patinad pieces back into something beautiful through historical restorations, repairing, rewiring, and refurbishing.
We are a dedicated group of people who truly love what we do. It is my hope that through our metalwork, we are able to leave a permanent mark in the form of beauty for future generations to appreciate and admire," Potter added.
Potter Art Metal Studios is located at 4827 Memphis Street, Dallas, Texas 75207. The showroom and studios are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Saturday and sunday. For more information, design ideas and additional product detail, please visit www.potterartmetal.com or call (214) 821-1419.
Dallas Morning News Saturday, May 29, 2010
Dallas Morning News
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Local Talent
Wrought with possibilities
by Rita Cook (social contributor)
Polish-American metal artist and designer Izabela Wojcik, 31, says she finds inspiration for her work just about anywhere. Really, the possibilities are endless, and my ideas come from maybe seeing a fixture to sometimes even noticing a funny clasp on a shoe," she says.
Wojcik works for Potter Art Metal Studios in Dallas, designing custom pieces such as chandeliers, gazebos and even staircases, and doing everything except twisting the metal.
"I don't specifically do the metal work, because I would break my arms doing what the guys do here," she says.
She has cultivated her knowledge of metals, taking into consideration not only the beauty of a piece, but also its functionality. When designing a piece in metal, you have to know how the metal will work together and to what extent they can be manipulated," she says.
She starts with paper and pencil and sometimes uses a computer. After her design is completed, company meal artisans forge the pieces.
The Potter studios did the metalwork on many historic homes in the Lakewood neighborhood, as well as light fixtures at Fair Park and White Rock Lake, among other Dallas landmarks. Wojcik, who received a liberal arts degree in 2001, has been with the company since 2005.
She says clients seem to be asking for interior railings, doors, chandeliers and exterior lanterns, usually in wrought iron. She says that's the strongest metal, and also a good choice for cost-conscious homeowners. She says this season's colors are either chocolate rust or natural wrought-iron look.
The most unusual item she's designed since working at Potter would be the Art Nouveau fireplace mantel for developer Trammell Crow.
"Between that first drawing and when the piece was actually completed about six months later, lots of changes were made," she says. The finished piece - 600 pounds of hand-wrought and polished iron - "looked like a piece of museum-quality art for sure."
Pieces for her work range from $800 for a candle wall sconce to $3,750 for a lantern to $18,000 for a bronze table.
She's currently working on a pine-tree interior railing to be made from wrought iron.
"The client for this particular piece is surrounded by pine trees and wanted to bring the outside into their home. The pinecones, needles and tree-branch textures are amazingly realistic; we even made little baby pinecones among the needles," she says.
Wojcik also continues her personal artistic pursuits, creating bronze sculptures, oil and acrylic paintings, pencil drawings and glass art.
"Unless I'm specifically commissioned for a project, I really never have any idea where a piece will take me," she says. "It is not until after the artwork is completed and I have had time to take it in that I can let the feelings come to me and realize what has been put on canvas or molded in clay.
Izabela Wojcik's work is available through Potter Art Metal Studios, 4827 Memphis St., Dallas; 214-821-1419. See samples of her work at www.potterartmetal.com or www.belaart.com
Dallas Modern Luxury - September 2006
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