Welcome to this issue of the quarterly, celebrating visual
artists and the community the

Steve Reinmuth

Antoni Gaudi said, “Above all the artist must be an explorer and to share that exploration with as many people as possible.”

In 1973, I found myself standing with my father on a busy street corner in downtown Los Angeles.  Across from us was an object that, at the age of 8, was the most amazing thing that I had seen.  It would mark a turning point in my life.  It was a tower, made of concrete and colored glass that played music.  On this particular night, it was lit like a Christmas tree.   As the first object that was able to draw my attention, it has found a special place in my memory.  To this day, I often wonder, as I complete an art image of my own, if it might have such an impact on the mind and soul of another.

            The content and impact value of an image gives an artist merit.  Great art has impact and content.  (Impact is that ability of an image to draw attention and content is the ability to hold attention as it teaches.)  Simply stated, the ideal for which I strive is to create powerful experiential images that convey what words can not while eliminating the distracting and nonessential elements.

          Humanity, since the creation of the world, has had thoughts and feelings that they long to share but are inexpressible with words.  Hence, the purpose of art and image.

          Born in 1965, Steve Reinmuth’s passion for art stems from early childhood, however, the awards and recognition did not begin until high school.  In 1981, he received first place honors in the national Accelerated Christian Education Awards art competition.  Upon graduation from high school, Steve received an offer for a full scholarship and teaching equivalence training as an encouragement to enter the teaching and graphic arts fields. 

          Finding this unappealing, he abandoned art for eight years to study the human figure and psyche as a triathlete.  He completed in over 80 races, six of which were Ironman status.

          His creative spirit prevailed, once again, in 1989, as a sculptor in resins and found objects.  One of his first three-dimensional works, entitled Good Shepherd, received first place honors in the Lane County Fair Art Exposition. As a result, a ¾ life size bronze fountain was commissioned.  This opened his eyes to the wonders of cast metal and for the next 5 years, he studied foundry technology from world-renowned bronze artist Welton Blix.

          In 1992, one of Steve’s early bronze sculptures was awarded first place recognition in the League for Innovation National Student Art Competitions.  A one-person show at the Alder Gallery in Eugene, Oregon soon followed with several sales abroad. Another show at the Coos Art Museum, shows in Portland and the construction of his foundry “in the woods” occupied 1993-1996.  Steve was commissioned in 1996 by the Los Angeles International Airport to create a bronze globe landmark in the art deco style.  Another commission that same year was for a bronze that was presented to an ambassador to Japan. 1997 brought about his marriage to ZoAnn who jumped in to help anywhere there was a need.  In 2000, the City of Eugene commissioned him to create an 8 feet tall multi-bell fountain. In 2001, his business and family continued to grow with the birth of his son and the purchase of an old trucking garage in Eugene to house the foundry.

That same year he was asked to show his sound sculptures at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph, Missouri. The show opened June 18, 2004. Steve received rave reviews on the show which ran until September 5, 2004.

Steve Reinmuth to express his artistic ideas, found that he could achieve this by

 using bronze as his medium.  He liked the smooth, flawless surfaces, with beautifully polished surfaces, with vivid patina colors, sculptured parts interlocking fitted togather achieving his artistic vision.  Steve wanted more than just transmitting his ideas on paper or having someone else finishing them.  He has a natural curiosity on how the parts of an object can be put together to form a whole.  He started looking for a way of reaching this goal.  Taking his projects to others to finish did not leave him with the satisfaction that the work was totally his.  He wanted to complete the project from the alpha to the omega.  Steve then tried his hand at doing his own castings.  Doing his, along with his nature of profection gave him the fulfillment he needed.

          Over the last decade and a half, he developed his own modius of operandi in casting the parts of his sculptures.  Many times he ran into road blocks of not being able to achieve the exact finishing or outcome he wanted along the way, Steve often designed, engineered, and fabricated his own tools and implements to do his work.  His perfectionist nature and tenacity to reach his objective guided his path reaching his finished project.

          In reaching his objective, he built his own foundry.  Doing this made him an overnight success; of course this only took fifteen years to achieve, often working eighty to one hundred hours per week every week.

          Starting to work in his backyard, he redesigned his garage into a studio and refurbished a storage shed into a shop for working on his maquettes and molds.  To have a place for casting his artwork, a friend who lives out of town encouragingly invited him to build a lean-to foundry on his property.  Steve had to design and build his own wax melting furnace.  This in conjunction with a used bronze melting furnace, allowed Steve to do his castings.  He would then bring his castings back to his house for welding together, applying patina, and polishing to finishing his project.

          Steve took some of his sculptures to the Loveland Sculpture Show.  A number of artists from other parts of the states wanted to know where he had his foundry work done.

They were impressed with the smooth, highly polished surfaces and patina hues.  Finding that he did his own work, they wanted to know if he could do work for them.  Thus, Reinmuth Bronze Studio was born.

          Finding a building in the industrial section of Eugene, Steve built a new ‘Reinmuth Bronze Studio’.  Again, not being able to locate some of the key elements needed for his production process, he again designed, engineer and fabricated what he needed.

          Several highly qualified people came to Steve and were taken on as associates.  Also, a number of people are being trained, gaining a real appreciation for bronze foundry work.  As the foundry grows, Steve stresses to all his co-workers that his goal is not only producing sculptures, but the finished product has to be completed with “uncompromising quality”.  The foundry, which provides all traditional foundry services including in-house base making in wood or stone, enlarging, installation and repairs services, has expanded from just bronze to include aluminum.  Projects are also fabricated in steel, stainless steel and aluminum.

          Liking a challenge, Steve has created fountain sculptures with movable parts to kenetic and other types of functional art.  Often these projects require innovative and unusual engineering problem to be solved.  Whether the artwork is a tiny figurine or monumental piece, a complex sculpture or a flat piece, such as a plaque, all projects are completed with ‘uncompromising quality’. 

          To come view the “new” facility, get acquainted with Steve and the others at Reinmuth Bronze Studio, to meet new artists and those you haven’t seen in a while,                               there will be an open house on Saturday evening, September 11 starting at 5 pm to???

Bring a dish or beverage to share.  We look forward to seeing you!!

          Address:  3295 Meadow Lane Eugene, OR 97402

          Phone: 541-463-8280

          Direction:  I-5 to Beltline Rd. West; exit 195A   

                          Travel to Roosevelt Blvd,

                          Turn left on to Roosevelt and

      go to Maple Lane (large yellow self-storage sign on corner).

      Turn right on to Maple Ln. and then take the immediate right on to        

      Meadow Lane.  We are one block down on the right in a 2 toned green  

      building.

Steve Reinmuth

Reinmuth Bronze Studio, inc

3295 Meadow Lane

Eugene, OR 97402

 (541) 463-8280

GALLERY REPRESENTATION

2003-Present  Howard/ Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, WA

2004-Present  Elizabeth Rice Fine Art & Antique, Sarasota, FL

2004-Present  Martin Gallery, Charleston, SC          

2005-Present  Art on the Boulevard, Vancouver, WA

2006-Present  R.E. Welch Gallery, Palm Desert, CA

1991-2006       Alder Gallery, Coburg, OR

2004-2005       A.Nervo Gallery, St. Helena, CA

2000-2004       Scherer Gallery, Sedona, AZ

1999-2003       Bronze Edition Gallery, Kirkland, WA

1995-1996       Gango Gallery, Portland, OR

ONE-PERSON SHOWS

2006                Art on the Boulevard, Vancouver, WA

2005                Umpqua Bank, Portland, OR

2004                The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, St. Joseph, MO

2004          Alder Gallery, Coburg, OR

2003                Bronze Edition Gallery, Kirkland, WA

2003                Alder Gallery, Coburg, OR

2002                Alder Gallery, Coburg, OR

2000                Alder Gallery, Eugene, OR

1999                Alder Gallery, Eugene, OR

1998                Alder Gallery, Eugene, OR

1996                Freed Gallery, Lincoln City, OR

1996                Gango Gallery, Portland, OR

1996                Alder Gallery, Eugene, OR

1993                Mayfield Gallery, Portland, OR

1991                 Alder Gallery, Eugene, OR

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2006-2008       Arts Downtown (Gallery without Walls), Lake Oswego, OR

2005                15^th Annual Invitational Miniature Show,

                                    Howard/Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, WA

2005                Arts & Antiques: Emerging Artist Show, Scottsdale, AZ

2004                Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, OR

2004                Venue, St. Helena, CA

2004                A. Nervo Gallery, Carmel, CA

2003                Malone Sweet International Airport, Eugene, OR

2003                HNTB Architects, Washington D.C

2003                           The Rebecca Klemm Charitable Foundation, Washington D.C

                                     Celebration of Eugene, Oregon Artists

2003                The Downtown Athletic Club, Eugene, OR

2003                International Snow Sculpture Championships (Team Minnesota),           Breckenridge, CO (2^nd place)

2003                Grants Pass Museum of Art (Feature Artist), Grants Pass, OR                 

2002                La Petite Invitation, Alder Gallery, Eugene, OR

2001                The Downtown Athletic Club, Eugene, OR

2001                Malone Sweet International Airport, Eugene, OR

2000                Human Form Show, Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport, OR

2000                Sedona Sculpture Walk, Sedona, AZ

2000                Sculpture in the Park, Loveland, CO

2000                Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay

2000                Carefree Wine & Art Festival, Carefree, AZ

2000                           La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA

1999                Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, OR

1999                Sedona Sculpture Walk, Sedona, AZ

1999                Maude Kerns Art Center, Eugene, OR

1997                Sculpture in the Park, Loveland, CO

1997                Sculpture Invitational, Alder Gallery, Eugene, OR

1996                            Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay OR

1996                Sculpture in the Park, Loveland, CO

PERMANENT PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

2005                Stainless Steel/Fused Glass Light Bollards – City of Eugene, OR-1% for Arts

2001                SoniQuarious- City of Eugene, OR -1% for Arts

1999                Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, OR

1994                Iron Butterfly-Lane Community College, Eugene, OR

PRIVATE COMMISSIONS

2006                SoniQuarious II, Washington D.C

2002                Door Handle, Alder Gallery, Eugene, OR

1999                Bronze Pot Bases, Indian Wells, CA

1996                Memorial Plaque, Salem, OR

1996                Memorial Plaque, Vancouver, WA

1996                Bronze Globe, Daily Grill Restaurant, L.A. International Airport

1990                Bathsheba Bronze Fountain, Mazzi’s Restaurant, Eugene, OR

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS & PUBLICATION

2005, Summer             Jerry William’s  quARTly, Cover story

2004, Sept. 3              The Springfield News Weekend Edition

                                                “Reinmuth’s art invites touch. It’s bronze curves are smot, cool to        the touch and acoustic when gently tapped.”

2003, June                  Best of Oregon Art Beat , Oregon Public Broascasting, TV

2003, March                “Art Bells-Update”:Oregon Art Beat. Oregon Public Broadcasting, TV

2003, January 4          KEZI Channel 9 News, "Wet Lands Art"

2002, May                   KLCC FM 89.7, Vis- City w/Terry Way & Lottie Streissinger

2002, April                 KWAX FM 91.1, Arts Line w/ Caitriona Bolster

2001, February            “Art Bells” Oregon Art Beat: Oregon Public Broadcasting, TV

2001                            Bridges: Art and Science Convention,

                              South Western University, Winfield, KS

2001                                       Micro-Symposium, MicroSoft Inc., Seattle, WA    

2002                               MOSAIC: Art and Science Convention,

                                    University of Washington, Seattle , WA

1997                            MOSIAC: Art and Science Convention,

University of California, Berkley,CA

1996                            KEZI Channel 9 News

1996, January 9                        Eugene Register Guard,

“The bells … are Reinmuth’s best works.”

1996, February 2         Eugene Register Guard, Feature Article:  “Hot Art”,

1992 May                     MacNews,

“… these beautiful phantasms…evoke both the glory and the madness of the symbiosis between the free…and the awesome…”                 

AWARDS

1992                League for Innovation Student Art Competition, First Place Award

1989                            Lane County Fair Art Exposition, First Place Honors, Eugene, OR

 y define. As residents, we revel in
Oregon’s geographic diversity as well as the varied ethnicity of our 
population. The art that is produced in our community reflects that
same spectrum. Our art is not corralled into a single Eurocentric,
academic precept, limited by axioms from other times. Rather, our art
is open, inclusive, as innovative as it is disciplined.

quarterly is intended to increase the visibility of our local visual
artists. Artists are often reclusive by nature. Their muse speaks
privately. So they remove themselves from the hubbub of the marketplace
in order to create, not to promote. While performance artists look for
a stage, visual artists are more inclined to look for a cave with
northern exposure. Moreover the visual artist will hang up a sign that
says: “nobody home.”

quarterly is to serve these artists.  They are our living treasures,
our scribes, our oracles, our enlight-ening fools who, knowingly or
not, challenge the way we see things. In their pursuit of art, they
enrich the quality of our life in Oregon. This, then, is their picture
book, a folio, as well as a forum for their industry. We are blessed
with a bounty of gifted, world-class artists, more than our local
market can support.

quarterly may help nurture their appreciation as well as engender the
growth of a larger market to sustain them. It has been proven that art
puts communities on the map.

quarterly advertisers will be the real heroes. They will be paying for
the ink and the paper, as well as all that elegant empty space. These
advertisers must believe that the husbandry of art is a community
responsibility.  I thank my editors, and guest writers Laurel Fisher,
John Rose, Dottie Chase, Judith Roberts and Art Maddox and Jerry Ross. 
Thank you  J Thibeau for the nam. And thank you most of all, Connie
Clark in Tryon, North Carolina, for putting it all into a proper form. 
Cheers

Jerry Williams,
Professor Emeritus
Quixoticus
Theatre Arts, Villard
University of Oregon
541-687-0493




Jerry Williams