Meet Gordon Huether of Gordon Huether Studio in Napa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gordon Huether.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Gordon. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Simply put, art saved my life. For part of my childhood, I was raised in the Tenderloin district in San Francisco, a neighborhood mired in violence, racial tension, drugs, and crime. Not an easy place for a fearful and angry kid to be in the 1960’s and 70’s. My mother and grandmother owned a wig shop and beauty salon on Sutter Street and I spent a lot of time observing the ladies who came into the shop for a wig fitting and watching the crowds of people hurrying past the storefront windows. My grandmother lived just down the street from the business and at night, I slept in her bathtub; there was no other place to sleep in her tiny one-room apartment. When I turned 13, I got my first job working as a busboy at Tad’s Steak House on Powell St and the folks there gave me a whole new insight into the life of the city. I learned early how to hustle for opportunities, how to take risks and how to work hard. All of these qualities served me well in becoming a successful working artist.

In order to rescue me from the pitfalls of the city and a life of delinquency, I was eventually sent to live with my father in the Napa Valley.

He was my first art teacher and taught me art composition – how to put things together – at his kitchen table in St. Helena, CA. From that moment on, my life took a major turn. I dedicated myself to inspiring the spirit of humanity by bringing beauty and meaning into the world through art. After a lot of trial and error, false starts and stumbles, I opened my first studio in Napa in 1987 and received my first public art commission in 1989. Now, I am commissioned to create monumental, engaging and place-making artwork for urban neighborhoods like the Tenderloin – places that are seeking to transform economically, create civic pride and establish connections to the people who live and visit there.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an artist AND running a business at the same time is not easy. My accountant likes to say I’m painting the Mona Lisa while running the 50-yard dash. Public art is a tough road, artists have to compete for opportunities, and only rarely do I win a commission without first having to go through a lengthy, costly and competitive process. In a good year, we’ll apply to 120 or so public art opportunities, reach the final round for 15 – 20 of those and then be selected as the winning artist for only 5 to 10 projects. And for all the joy and great feelings of accomplishment that comes with winning a project – that’s when the hard work begins. I, along with my studio team, work with public art administrators, town councils, city managers and a ton of other folks to ensure that my proposed concept for a public art opportunity is successfully developed, engineered, fabricated, installed and most importantly, can be maintained and enjoyed by the public for years to come.

One of the struggles I face is that the creative process is always constrained by financial realities. Every public art opportunity has a budget and as much as the artist side of me wants to build a 50-foot sculpture made of platinum, the budget side is telling me that I can only build a 20-foot sculpture with stainless steel. It’s a struggle, for sure, but budget realities also push me to be inventive and think creatively in developing something highly original and innovative.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Gordon Huether Studio – what should we know?
Over the course of my 30-year career, I have completed more than 75 large-scale, site-specific, public art commissions and 150 private commissions. My work can be seen in airports, university campuses, civic centers, hotels, wineries, residential developments, health care settings, and recreation centers throughout the world. I have a team of project managers, administrators, highly skilled fabricators, technicians and craftsman who support the process from initial design development through final installation. Gordon Huether Studio is based in Napa, CA in a 15,000 square-foot converted hay barn, where the design studio, administrative offices, fabrication workshop and gallery are located. In addition to public art, I have a robust fine art practice and take on private commissions.

I’m probably most proud of the fact that I’m still here! It’s been 30 years of flying by the seat of my pants and boots on the ground effort.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked with hundreds of communities, thousands of people and I am still thrilled when I see the final product installed and I know my artwork will have a positive impact on the lives of maybe hundreds of thousands of people who will experience it on a daily basis.

I think what sets me apart as an artist is my ability to work with almost all materials, including glass, metal, light, synthetic and repurposed materials, in all manners of applications, including stand alone sculpture, wall applications, suspended works and fully integrated and functional work. Most importantly, my public artwork always tells a story about the place where the work is sited. Through historical and cultural research, exploration of the landscape and architectural elements of the site, and community and stakeholder collaboration, I create artwork that connects to and engages with viewers.

Everyone I’ve met in my life, from the dishwasher at Tad’s Steak House, to my third grade teacher, to my daughter, my partner, my staff and my clients have all contributed to my success and the success of our Studio. Public art is a collaborative process and I depend on the brilliance and compassion of so many people to make what I do happen.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1821 Monticello Rd.,
  Napa, CA 94558
• Website: www.gordonhuether.cm
• Phone: 707-255-5954
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gordonhuether/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gordonhuetherstudio/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GordonHuether

Image Credit:
Joey Colombo
Nisha Gulati
Misha Bruk
Rainier Industries
Infinity Visuals
Partners 2 Media
Carl Vernlund
Arburg

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