Life & Work with Pat Minervini

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pat Minervini. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Patrick Minervini, currently located in Colorado, spent his life honing a unique combination of skills. This has allowed him to produce beautiful, creative artistry in a variety of media. He is unique in his ability to create artwork that upholds the most revered traditions while also taking advantage of the latest materials and technology.

As a child in New Jersey Pat was happiest when he created things from ideas leading to sketches and resulting in models. Given his interests, it was comfortable to enter college anticipating a career in engineering. However, his on-campus exposure to the fine arts awakened what became a life-long passion. He ultimately graduated with a BA in Art Education and, based on his college experience, a fascination with pottery.

After graduation, Pat was hired by the high school he had attended and taught there for seven years. His goal, which he largely achieved, was to help his students make academic and life decisions through exposure to a variety of fine arts including sculpture, drawing, ceramics, jewelry, and painting. Pat hoped to help others discover their own hidden passions.

During this period Pat’s fascination with pottery continued and, ultimately, he left teaching and moved to Warwick, NY, and built a pottery studio. His engineering talent was critical in the design and building of a state-of-the-art kiln. This combination of these skills and artistic talent produced a number of beautiful pieces and ultimately resulted in a pair of one-person gallery shows in Manhattan.

While operating his studio Pat became a competitive road cyclist. In 1990 a cycle racing friend introduced him to the owner of a bicycle importing and wholesaling company. Shortly after their meeting where bicycling and art were discussed Pat moved to North Carolina and became a designer in the bicycle industry.

Pat and his team designed bicycle apparel, shoes, and frame designs. Once again, along with his artistry, engineering skills were critical in creating bicycle frames using leading-edge new materials and innovative geometries. These advanced designs and materials have become standards in the cycling industry.

While in North Carolina Pat met a gentleman heavily involved in building 18th century Queen Anne furniture. Pat was intrigued and began to build beautiful reproductions of complex designs. He mastered this very complex art very quickly.

Another acquaintance made while in North Carolina perceived the value of Pat’s skills in consumer marketing. As a result of this contact, Pat spent the next five years in New Jersey creating packaging and graphics for a major corporation that marketed consumer products including Lysol, French’s, Airwick, Electro-Sol, and many others. During this time, the world was transitioning from standardized art production methods to computer-based 3D rendering, and Pat was one of the first designers to successfully apply the new methods to industry.

Ultimately, Pat decided to return to the pursuit of artistic excellence under his own direction. He also wanted to join his brother as a resident of Colorado. He created PM Designs LLC as the umbrella for his activities. Interestingly, one of the products of PM Designs was a standup desk/workstation. This was in 2008, long before these desks were popular. He was granted a U.S. patent and launched StandinGoodHealth Manufacturing to produce his innovative design.

Pat thrived as a freelance artist. One of his pursuits extended into custom car culture and the art of Pinstriping. It was here that he became friends with Alan Johnson, a pin-striping legend. It was Alan who encouraged Pat to travel to the UK and explore turn of the 19th-century techniques in glass embossing and gold gilding. This proved to be the focal point for the integration of his wide range of artistic and engineering skills. In 2019 he went to the U.K. and spent time learning glass-gilding techniques from world-renowned artist, David Smith.

Naturally, Pat quickly began to design a suitable space for the creation of glasswork. This process led to the production of beautiful examples of traditional glasswork and the development of sophisticated machines whose designs have been adopted by several artists, including David Smith.

Glasswork has provided the perfect medium to integrate Pat’s extensive array of skills enabling him to imagine, design, and build simultaneously. This includes both the artistic concepts and the equipment required to achieve them. In the tradition of the Italian Renaissance, he used modern technical capabilities to produce historic art forms.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been an interesting and somewhat challenging road. I have remained open to the possibilities along the way and it has allowed me to apply my creativity across a variety of areas. With each change, I have been challenged with opportunities to learn, and then apply new skills while at the same time finding a path to the financial element needed.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My current work is centered around reverse glass embossing, gilding, and brilliant cutting glass using many turn of 19th-century techniques. One can say I am known as an Artist, Designer, and Craftsman with an ability to engineer functional elements in addition to creative design and esthetic solutions.

What matters most to you? Why?
The creative process is at the center of what and why I do the work that I have always chosen to pursue. This process is where I derive a great deal of satisfaction and it constantly provides additional challenges that lead me to new and exciting discoveries.

Contact Info:

• Website: pmdesignsllc.net
• Instagram: @pasqualeartist
• Youtube: @PM Designs LLC