Page 67 - The Hunt - Winter 2022

Laran Bronze is perhaps busier than some might like these days. Since the pandemic, production has run months behind due to continued demand, delivery delays for materials and a shortage of qualified employees.
working with Larry since 1976, when he was freelancing and hadn’t yet established Laran,” says Bright.
Welker grew up in Shippensburg and graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Art in Pittsburgh. Seeking to better control his own output, he founded
Laran in 1984 with his wife and his brother, Randy (the “ran” in Laran). The place has been busy ever since—perhaps busier than some might like these days. Since the pan- demic, production has run months behind
due to continued demand, delivery delays
for materials and a shortage of qualified employees. The staff also includes Welker’s daughter, Taryn. All in all, though, it remains a popular place with artists. “André started working with Laran in 1999,” Bobbie Harvey says of her late husband. “He had a particu- larly difficult piece called Morning Glory—
a robin and its nest—that needed casting. There was an edition of 60, but it sold out fast. They did a beautiful job. André was a perfectionist, and so were they. He was
there so much they gave him his own working bench.”
Fortunately for Laran, there’s a new genera- tion of sculptors who love working in bronze. Many are growing to appreciate the facili-
ties at Laran, along with the father and son who operate it. At a time when large statues of bronzed men with feet of clay are being removed from public places, it’s reassuring to know that these new bronzes are dedicated solely to beauty and esthetic appreciation.
Visit laranbronze.com.
Molds filled with hot bronze.
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