Richard Weigand

Artist, craftsman and entrepreneur, Richard Weigand, was born in low in 1946. He has spent his entire life involved in and attracted to the arts. In high school, at age 15 he had an art class where all students were given art projects to do, of their own choosing. Interestingly, Richard chose wood. His art teacher liked his figure so much she wanted to enter it in an art show at a local college in Moorehead MN where he won honorable mention. An attendee offered to buy it for $175 which was quite a price for 1963 and Richard's proud father said no, he wanted to keep it.
The next year Richard began working at the Rourke Art Museum in Moorhead, Minnesota and by 17 was in charge of this community art institute, founded as an art gallery in June of 1960, by James O'Rourke, a major figure on the regional arts scene for more than half a century, its focus was on talent demonstrating artistic excellence.
Richard attended the University Of North Dakota, where he majored in Art and has continued his artistic development, creating in several media including two-dimensional drawing and painting, sculpture in ceramics, pottery, architecture and wood. A student and admirer of Arts & Crafts philosopher John Ruskin, who wrote that "handcrafted and honest display of materials is a requirement of art". You can see these attributes demonstrated in abundance in each piece of Richard's bespoke furniture.
Richard's current focus is working with locally grown and/or salvaged hardwoods to produce "live edge" slab furniture and making properly dried and stored slabs available to others. This allows him to work simultaneously on all facets of his interests: personal, social and philosophical. He understands that people are eager to purchase honest, well-made and beautifully designed pieces where you can sense the history of the piece and sense the rarity and intrinsic beauty. He believes that beginning with his work and that of his neighboring artisans, a local economy can be built and strengthened. He believes that the purpose of life is work and work is a game and success in work is not measured in money but in the intellectual exercise, the product itself, and in the appreciation of others.
"I find when work is approached in this manner, cooperation and success are forthcoming."
-Richard Weigand

Noteworthy commissions over the years.
He designed and built a beautiful desk for Mike McCurry (President Clinton's Press Secretary) from a favorite maple tree in his yard that had to come down.
He was commissioned by the owner of a historic Greene and Greene house in Pasadena, CA to reproduce museum quality entry hall furniture.
He designed and built some home office furniture for the founder of Hanes underwear in Winston Salem, NC.