Pam Frankhauser - Metal & Glass Artist

I began this journey with metals and glass back in the 1970's in high school and Western Michigan University. I was convinced I needed to get a "real job" so changed majors from Metal Smithing to Printing Technology and worked in Los Angeles as a Production Director for a media company.

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We lived in Ventura County California, and at age 52 I got my motorcycle license endorsement and began exploring the local canyons on my trusty Honda Shadow. I fell in love with riding.  My husband and I also took many longer rides on our larger touring motorcycle.

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As a hobby, my husband and I began making projects in stained glass– gifts for the family, cabinet doors, small windows, etc.

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I retired in 2013 and we moved back to our home state of Michigan. I began taking a class in Metals & Jewelry with Autumn Brown at the Gwen Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan University. I started to re-learn the wonders of fabricating and casting metal.

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In 2019 I attended a workshop lead by the artist Motoko Furuhashi who challenged us to think about creating art that was "About a Place". 

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The place I feel the strongest attachment to, the place I feel most connected to the earth and most content in my skin, is on a motorcycle, riding the roads of Southern California. 

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This lead to the Road Series, and as I worked through the various memories of specific places,
I began to incorporate stone, enamel and glass. Along with other projects, these are those works to present.

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