When strolling by Bassett Street Brunch Club or the conspicuous gap above Orpheum Theater, Madisonians unknowingly pass artistic work by a local institution: Sign Art Studio.
When founder Dan Yoder took a job at a sign shop, the then-19-year-old was unaware that producing sign art would become his lifelong passion. But the ability to craft something novel ignited Yodel’s creative fire and the foundation of his current company in 2005.
Yoder knew the Mount Horeb,Wisconsin-based Sign Art Studio needed to create signs that would surpass the signs from other companies.
“I saw a gap in uniqueness and quality in signs around town, and that is why I felt I could start the company,” Yoder said. “Sign Art Studio puts a high emphasis on design quality, materials, construction, and hiring skilled people to make the best quality signs possible that last long.”
Yoder credits Karyl Lynn Bruckner, a project manager for Avante Properties, for kickstarting the company with their Fitchburg Technical Campus sign.
After gaining the necessary inertia from Avante Properties, Yoder has achieved the recognition and clout to complete the redesign of Madison’s storied Orpheum Theater sign.
The Orpheum redesign is the biggest single sign the company has ever developed. As for its look, the studio is interested in something more sentimental: a replica of the original design from 1927.
“[The Orpheum job] is the one that will go down in the books,” Yoder said. “It was a challenge to get it just right, because all of the old photos are in black and white or were not extremely high quality, but I think we got it.”
Typically, Sign Art Studio spends about four to eight hours on design and 60 to 90 days on manufacturing. The Orpheum sign’s design time, however, has reached 60 hours, becoming the longest duration of a project in the company’s history thus far.
Despite the lengthy production, the public will likely be able to admire the new Orpheum sign before winter. But, Yoder is ensuring the time is taken to make the sign up to the company’s standards.
“First and foremost we want to make sure the sign is built properly. Want this sign to last another 100 years,” Yoder said.
Not all of Yoder’s work is as time-consuming or historical. The studio has been creating signs for Madison restaurants for seven years, and one his favorites for Food Right Restaurant Group adorns Cento Italian restaurant.
“We wanted it to look vintage and modern at the same time. The blue and yellow colors are vivid, and the gold hand painting is beautiful; it really catches your eye as you are walking or driving past. It’s glorious,” Caitlin Suemnicht, a managing partner at Food Fight, said.
Other unique signs Yoder fabricated are the Bassett Street Brunch Club sign and the DLUX sign. The studio has been creating signs for Madison restaurants for seven years.
The signs truly are all around — and are evidently quite magnificent to read. The time and effort put into these signs certainly enhance the urban decor in Madison, with the new Orpheum sign highlighting just how important a sign can be for a company or monument.
