bio

Steve's Bio | The Foundry

Steve'S Bio

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 competed 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.

Good Shepherd

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. In 2006 he placed an outdoor piece entitled “Three Shades” in Lake Oswego, OR.

 

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The Foundry

Steve Reinmuth, a respected Eugene artist and business owner, is the embodiment of the Reinmuth Bronze Foundry. In his beginning as a sculptor, Steve’s love for bronze as a material was immediate, and has only grown stronger. His commitment to quality and precision in his own work has become a foundry standard, and the strength and vision with which the studio was created carries it still. Steve is both an artist and an innovator, a symbiotic relationship which the studio has adopted, setting it apart in its capabilities. Over the last fifteen years, Steve has continued to develop this modus operandi, solving both artistic and technical problems along the way.

For Steve, simply transmitting his ideas onto paper and relying on someone else to bring them to fruition did not appeal to his perfectionist nature, nor did it bring him the satisfaction and fulfillment he desired.
Steve needed to see his work through, from start to finish, making his presence and hand integral to the success of the work.

Starting to work in his backyard, he redesigned his garage into a studio, and set up his own casting operation. As demand for his work increased, some of Steve’s colleagues and other artists began asking him to cast for them as well. This concurrent growth necessitated a larger studio. Finding a building in the industrial section of Eugene, Steve and his wife, ZoAnn, built a new Reinmuth Bronze Studio, and were able to design and engineer the space that was needed.

This new incarnation of Reinmuth Bronze accepts and perfects a myriad of different projects. The foundry has cast and helped install public and private commissions.

Some of the highlights follow:

  • Ken Kesey Memorial by Pete Helzer (Eugene downtown mall)
  • SoniQuarious Water Fountain by Steve Reinmuth (911 Communications Center)
  • Reflective Elusions light bollards by Steve Reinmuth (Santa Clara Fire Station)
  • Wetland discs by Mark Andrew (on the west Eugene bike path)
  • Gertrude Bass Warner Memorial by Ellen Tykeson (Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art)
  • Opal Whitley by Ellen Tykeson (Cottage Grove Library)
  • Wall Plaques by Jeff Weitzel (13th & Willamette St. Fire Station)
  • Journey by Ellen Tykeson (Peace Health, Cottage Grove)
  • Pox Mundi – 5’9” ribbon sphere by Brent Collins (H & R Block Headquarters Kansas City, MO)
  • Family Group – 1 ¾ life size by Ellen Tykeson (Palms Springs, CA)
  • Flow by Bathsheba Grossman (University of Indiana)


Whether the artwork is a monumental piece, or a tiny figurine, a complex sculpture or a flat tile, all projects brought to the foundry are completed with uncompromising quality.

metal tooling

Over the years, several highly qualified people have come to Steve and were taken on as associates. With backgrounds as widely different as the processes they deal with, the studio benefits from that diversity and unique experience. Because of this, the foundry is able to offer not just casting, but a complete collection of foundry expertise. There are several artists on staff capable of sculpting, base making in wood or stone, and the foundry offers installation, repair, and refurbishing services. Projects can also be fabricated in steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.

Reinmuth Bronze Studio has been a long time in the making, and is still focused on the growth and potential that has brought it this far. Constantly willing to learn and expand, Reinmuth Bronze Studio continues to add knowledge and skill, using the ingenuity with which the studio was formed. The foundry has broadened its casting capabilities to include aluminum, stainless steel, and cast iron, in addition to bronze. Currently they are setting up an enlarging and rapid prototyping system, as well as a resin bonded sand foundry. Building upon a core set of values, Reinmuth Bronze Studio is continuing in the tradition of excellence, searching out new opportunities and technologies to add to their repertoire, never forgetting to dream big.

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