(Editor’s note: Interviews for this story were conducted and photos taken prior to the pandemic restrictions and social distancing guidelines in Pennsylvania.)
While it wouldn’t seem like a mechanical bull and a 10-inch candy-apple-red snowman prototype for the UGG company would have a lot in common, they are much closer in the creation process than you might think.
Entrepreneur Gracienne Myers and artist William Snyder III have joined forces to form a creative partnership at Myers’ company 3D Sculpture Worx, with the help of others in the company.
Snyder and Myers each bring their own diverse backgrounds to the company. Snyder is best known for his vibrant murals around State College, including the “We Are All One” piece on the south-facing side of the Graduate Hotel on Atherton Street. Myers, originally from Brazil, moved to State College in her early 20s and has become a successful business owner of Banana Vital bars, Mechanical Bull Sales, and the adjunct 3D Sculpture Worx.
3D Sculpture Worx is a design and production studio for three-dimensional works of any kind.
Making the career shift is something Snyder was passionate about.
“I’ve been a big sculptor, and I’ve looked around the country for large-scale manufacturing jobs,” he says. “When Gracienne had an opening, I was recommended and we had a conversation. … The opportunity here with the machines and equipment and scope was really of interest to me.”
Whether they are hired to create a mechanical bull, a turtle, beer bottle, or any other 3D element for decorative purposes, Snyder and Myers play a pivotal role.
The process starts with the two deliberating, then moves to Snyder running computers and various CNC (computer numerical control) machines. His mechanical and handcraft skills pair well with Myers’ problem-solving skills.
They can scale objects to any size with different coding dependent on future use of the object, whether that be theatrical, indoor, outdoor, or intended to be interactive with people.
After the Styrofoam mold is constructed, the artistic part follows. Snyder coats the mold with copious layers of rubber, plaster, paint, or other applicable materials.
Essentially, no matter the physical sculpture being made, the process is relatively the same and is all created in-house under the same roof at the company studio on Stewart Drive in State College. The efficient process was created by Myers, as she saw how long and costly it previously was to find a sculptor across state lines to sculpt the base mold, on top of transportation and other logistics that kept clients waiting.
“UGG had a deadline of a week for a prototype they needed. I was on the phone for four or five hours trying to find the exact color paint,” Myers explains of that candy-apple-red snowman prototype.
The reach for the 19-year-old company Mechanical Bull Sales covers about 42 states and 44 countries, which has created a healthy business for 3D Sculpture Worx. Some notable clients include a Saudi-Arabian prince, Google, an Under Armour/Baltimore Ravens collaboration, as well as the creation of various prototypes for designers such as UGG and Marc Jacobs.
“It’s been an exciting time for me to have an opportunity like this, to expand and learn from Gracienne, from her business acumen as well as her international scope,” explains Snyder.
With the majority of their clientele being national and international, Myers and Snyder want 3D Sculpture Worx to become a local resource for businesses in State College.
Currently, Champs Downtown is the only local business in the area that has taken advantage of this niche business found in the heart of State College. Its mechanical bull is from Mechanical Bull Sales.
The future looks bright and immersive for 3D Sculpture Worx, as Myers and Snyder hope to host an open house in their State College studio, where they intend to invite architects and designers when the lifting of pandemic restrictions allows.
“With custom design, [business owners] don’t have to buy things the way they are. They can be part of the creative process and make their own vision come to life,” Myers explains.
Her relationship with her employees and clients is of the utmost importance, Myers explains.
“I don’t cut corners when it comes to quality. This way, we can exceed expectations,” she says.
While clients can create virtually anything they wish into a three-dimensional form, 3D Sculpture Worx may also become a game-changer for designers and homeowners as well. Its innovative printer, created because Myers saw a gap in the industry, can print materials like vinyl and fabric onto sheets that can then be used as an accent wall – or anything else one can imagine.
Myers brings her ideas to the table, while Snyder optimistically takes on any challenge head-on.
“I don’t know everything, and neither does he. He may not know what type of finish something needs, but we work together. I wear different shoes; if I have to come here and clean the floors I do,” Myers says as Snyder chuckles.
“In some ways I go for the most complicated way to look at something, but she comes from the simplified, so that dynamic with production has been really cool,” Snyder says.
For more information, visit 3dsculptureworx.com.
The images below shows the process of creating the snowman, from Styrofoam mold, to the applied hardcoat, to the finished product.
