How to Commission a Custom Metal Sculpture

Commissioning a sculpture sounds intimidating until you have done it once. After that, it is mostly a conversation.

This guide walks through the actual workflow Corey uses with collectors, interior designers, and hospitality buyers. The goal is simple: make the first message you send a useful one.

Step 1. Decide whether you actually want a commission

Commissions exist for the moment a space asks for something that does not yet exist. If a piece you have already seen would work, buy that piece.

If your wall is an unusual size, your brand needs something specific, or you want a sculpture nobody else owns, that is the commission lane.

A useful gut check: would a stock sculpture from the available work archive solve the problem? If yes, skip the commission. If the answer is "almost, but not quite," a commission is probably the right call.

Signs you actually want a custom piece

• The wall or niche has unusual proportions.
• You want a specific material or finish not currently in the archive.
• The piece needs to anchor a room, lobby, or brand experience.
• You have collected the artist before and want a sibling to an existing work.

Step 2. Gather what the artist needs to see

A useful first message includes:

• Wall or space dimensions in inches or centimeters.
• Ceiling height and a note about lighting.
• Photos of the room, current state or renderings.
• Reference images of pieces you respond to, from the archive or anywhere on the web.
• Intended use: private residence, hotel lobby, restaurant, corporate office, or gallery.
• Target install or delivery date.
• Budget range if you have one.

A budget range is not required, but sharing one lets the artist design within real constraints instead of guessing.

If you are not sure what is reasonable, say so. Corey will walk through what scale and material your range supports.

Step 3. Expect a direction conversation, not a sketch

Corey does not lead with full renders. Welded sculpture is a material conversation. Scale, finish, mounting, and surface direction are agreed in writing before any commitment.

That written alignment is what protects both sides during the build. Renders feel reassuring, but a render of welded copper is fiction until it exists in steel.

Expect a back and forth that resolves into a short written brief: scale, primary material, finish approach, mounting method, freight method, and a project price. Once the brief is signed and a deposit is in, the build begins.

Step 4. Understand what shapes the price

Pricing moves with six factors:

• Scale. Total square footage and depth of the piece.
• Material mix. Copper, steel, stainless, brass, masonry nail, or a combination.
• Finish complexity. Raw, oxidized, patinated, polished, or enameled.
• Detail density. The number of welded elements and the labor in surface work.
• Mounting system. Simple cleat versus structural standoff for a heavy piece.
• Freight. Domestic crate versus international freight with customs paperwork.

There is no menu. A small wall piece, a freestanding sculpture for a foyer, and a two-story lobby commission live in completely different price ranges.

Specific numbers are quoted after the brief is reviewed. If a number is needed before the brief, share a budget range, and Corey will tell you honestly whether the project fits.

Step 5. Common mistakes to avoid

• Overspecifying the design before the artist has seen the space.
• Holding the budget secret. It forces blind redesigns later.
• Skipping reference images. The wall photo is more useful than three paragraphs of description.
• Treating the artist like a vendor instead of a collaborator. The good commissions move both directions.
• Waiting until the GC has framed the wall to ask about mounting. Earlier is better.
• Asking for a price without sharing scale. The answer is meaningless without it.

What happens after install

Care is straightforward. Metal sculpture is durable. Corey shares finish-specific care notes with each piece.

Copper patinas continue to age, blackened steel can be wiped with a soft cloth, and polished stainless takes the occasional fingerprint. If a hospitality install needs periodic touch-up after years of public use, that can be arranged directly with the studio.

For hospitality, commercial, and large-scale projects

If your project is a hotel lobby, restaurant feature wall, corporate entry, or any large-scale public install, start with the commercial spaces page. The brief is the same, but the calendar, freight, and procurement workflow are different.

Pricing is line-itemed so it can route through FF&E approval. For oversized walls, the large-scale wall sculpture page covers mounting and freight in more detail.

Ready to start?

The contact page walks through exactly what to include. You can also browse the gallery or see what is currently available to ship now.

If a piece in the available work archive is right for your space, that is the fastest path. Skip the commission and buy the piece. If not, send the wall and a photo and Corey will reply.