Bear Creek Metal Art
Located in Kaleva, Michigan, Bear Creek Metal Art is a family-owned design and fabrication shop specializing in custom-designed, handcrafted metal art for your home, cabin, or business. From cast iron pot and pan display racks to wine bottle décor, our pieces are crafted to match your lifestyle and specifications.
Our Story
At the age of ten, Dave Cross was introduced to the art of metal design and blacksmithing by his father who owned a blacksmith shop in central Michigan. Through the teachings of his father, Dave learned about the properties of different types of steel and how to forge raw steel into tools and items that would be used around local farms.
After leaving trade school where Dave learned welding and metallurgy techniques, he decided to pursue a career in the transportation industry. Shortly after, Dave married his wife Julie and started a family. Dave continued his passion of designing metal art as a hobby. After 35 years in the transportation industry, Dave was dealt a devastating blow as he lost most of his vision and had to retire from being a truck driver.
Determined to make the best of his situation, Dave attended the Bureau of Services for Blind People’s Training Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he learned to use accessibility tools that aided him in the design of metal art. Upon perfecting his newfound skills, Dave returned to his passion for designing and shaping steel. Since that time, Dave and his wife Julie have worked together to build Bear Creek Metal Art.
Dave and Julie have come a long way since his introduction to blacksmithing. At Bear Creek Metal Art, Dave combines the time-honored forging techniques he learned from his father with newly developed skills to craft stunning, high-quality custom metal art. Inspired by the natural beauty of Northern Michigan, Dave and Julie offer expert custom design and fabrication services, including:
• Cast iron pot racks
• Wine racks and wine décor
• Silhouettes
• Custom metal art
• Custom wall art
• Lighting displays