Then, two days before the festival, tired, hot and frustrated we applied a solution of vinegar and water to the sculptures lying in our garage and walked away. Overnight, a combination of elements imparted a patina more unique that any I had seen.The arts festival opened at 9 a.m., by noon we had sold out of several designs and Prairie Dance was on its way! It took us months to figure out just what worked that night, but through trial and error we were able to replicate the process. And today, Prairie Dance metal artwork is produced by a small but dedicated staff and shipped to over 400 galleries and gift stores across the country.
How It All Started
While on vacation with my husband and another couple, my friend and I were attracted to some metal sculptures fashioned from aged metal. The husbands, not relishing the idea of transporting the art home, responded “Well, we can do that.” I took the men up on their claim and just to give them a little push, committed to a local arts festival a few months away. True, to their word, the husbands were able to help craft the new designs, yet days before the Sidewalk Arts Festival in Sioux Falls, I had nothing to sell. The experiments to age the metal had failed.
Meet the Team
Terri Schuver
Owner/Creator
Ross Sommers
Metal Finisher
Brooke Struve
Designer/Marketer