Meet Gabrielle Shelton | Artist, metal fabricator.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabrielle Shelton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabrielle, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After graduating from art school, I realized that the chances for me being able to support myself on my art were slim to none. Knowing that I needed major machinery to make the art that I wanted to make, I decided to enter the trades to learn the proficiency of building. After five years working for other companies in the construction industry, I started my own business in order to afford a studio to make my art.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I graduated from Los Angeles High School for the Arts and earned a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago on a merit scholarship, where I concentrated my studies inside the foundry and sculpture studios. In 1995, I moved to New York City and worked in the construction industry and metal fabrication shops. In 2000, I opened my business, Shelton Studios Inc., in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The studio specializes in high-end architectural metal fabrication and machining. Shelton Studios Inc. produces staircases, rails, doors, ladders, furniture, hardware, and many other forms of custom metalwork for some of the biggest names in architecture, design, and contemporary art. I prioritize my work’s quality, character, and attention to detail and craftsmanship.
I started the business with the intention of financing my art through architectural metalwork. I decided that being paid to learn the art of running a business while developing my craft would be more financially viable than going to grad school. I have been making sculptures throughout my professional career; my current work represents a series of conceptual stairs with the praxis of functional staircases. Stairs have long been an inspiration; having grown up in Los Angeles, I always sought the hidden staircases throughout Silverlake and other LA neighborhoods. My mediums of choice are bronze, steel, copper, iron, aluminum, and brass.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My all-time favorite restaurant in Los Angeles is Musso and Frank Grill. It was our family restaurant growing up, and when I was in High School, my dad and I would eat there every Tuesday night. My favorite bar in Los Angeles is a pirate-themed punk and rockabilly venue in downtown LA called The Redwood Bar and Grill. While in LA, I always stop by Botanica, Night Market Song, Tacos Delta, and Litlle Doms in Silverlake; my favorite coffee shop is Canyon Coffee in Echo Park. These spots are always on the list I give to visiting people. In addition, my favorite stores in LA are Blue Rooster Art Supply Wacko / Soap Plant, American Rag, and Gimme Danger. The lobby at Chateau Marmont for happy hour and the Tower Bar at Sunset Tower Hotel for dinner are trendy but still excellent. ( midweek is best ) I love spending a long afternoon at Hauser and Wirth and LACMA and exploring all the new galleries that have recently popped up in Culver City- especially R & Co on Motor Ave. An absolute must is a hike up to the Observatory to watch the sunset, and I love driving the entire length of Sunset Blvd – from downtown LA to the beach. If someone stays a whole week in Los Angeles, I encourage them to explore as many different areas as they can manage.; DTLA market at ROW, Chinatown, Hollywood Hills, Highland Park has an excellent venue and restaurant called Checker Hall, Surfrider Beach in Malibu, Sqrl and Square 1 in Little Armenia, Sugarfish on Labrea, Beverly Hot Springs, Dodger Game, The Magic Castle, hiking in Topanga Canyon, Beachwood Canyon. In Venice, Abbot Kinney has a lot of good restaurants and shops – and I always love walking the canals. Stay off the freeways so that you can explore the neighborhoods. Look up at the hand-painted signs that transition through hundreds of different languages. I recommend walking down the most touristy part of Hollywood Blvd for someone who has never been to Los Angeles. This was the LA hot spot during the Golden Age. It is far from that now, but it is important to witness- like Times Square in NY. The fabric of Los Angeles is rich, and I recommend debunking the myth that it is too vast to explore.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate my shoutout to my husband and children. My family has gracefully allowed me the space and time to grow my business, and they have also been the most loving creative team with my art. I am lucky to live in a house with three other artists who constantly create, love, and communicate.

Website: www.sheltonstudiosinc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheltonstudiosinc/?hl=en

Image Credits
Picture of me is by Francois Dischinger. Sculpture images are by Joe Kramm. Chair ladder photo is by me.