February is a month for lovers, partners and marriages, and the BAN Supply Collaboration embodies all three.
The artisan wooden sign company was founded by husband and wife, Bree and Nate Millard, whose works are on display at the Uinta Brewing Company and the Porcupine Pub & Grille in Salt Lake City.
On Friday, Feb. 2, their works will be showcased at Artique, 283 N. Main St., Kamas, during this month’s First Friday Artist Opening reception that runs from 6-9 p.m.
“It’s exciting to be featured as new residents in the valley,” Bree said. “We moved out here two-and-a-half years ago, and we wanted to branch out. So the timing is right.”
The idea to create routered wooden signs came together years ago, said Nate.
“Bree has a degree in photography and I dabble in photography and have shot for different snowboard magazines, and we had a darkroom set up in our house,” he said.
A friend had given them Julia Cameron’s book, “The Artist’s Way: Morning Pages,” which inspired them to build a studio in their backyard, according to Nate.
“We thought we would move our darkroom into it, but that was something we ended up not doing,” he said. “Instead, we were outside toying with things, and Bree got this idea of bringing her photography work into a new realm.”
She ran inside and traced a projected photo onto a slab of plywood, Nate said.
“I thought it was cool, and then she said, ‘Wait a minute’ and ran into the garage,” he said. “I heard all of these tools going, and wondered what she was doing. And then she brought the wood back, and I saw she had routered the image into it.”
With Bree’s innovation and Nate’s background in design, drafting and finance, the two decided to create the BAN Collaboration.
“Our early works were basically things that we could put cool images to, like old signage and vintage Americana,” Nate said. “We had a show with that body of work that did well, and we did another show based on mountain biking, but there were no mountain bikes in it. It was just images based on the different names of the trails.”
Soon, the couple began getting custom-work orders.
“I don’t know where the idea to router the wood came from,” she said. “I had been working at a frame shop in Salt Lake, and I learned finishes from them. So, I think that sparked it a little bit.”
Throughout the years, their work has evolved and they added recognizable images like logos and landmarks to their original works.
“I think we got to a point where we wanted to see what anything looked like in our medium, because our medium was exciting to us,” she said. “So we kind of went there.”
The nostalgic feel of the works stem from Bree’s interest in vintage items.
“I spent a lot of time going through antique stores with my dad when I was younger, and I think I always paid attention to that look,” she said. “I would also have old Life magazines laying around, and I would flip through the old ads.”
The biggest challenge of creating these woodworks is not the routering, according to Bree.
“It’s really about having someone see and understand what I want to do,” she said. “I like the complicated pieces that are intricate.”
BAN Supply Collaboration will showcase nine wood works and some posters prints during the Artique show.
“We generally use cherry wood,” Bree said. “Part of the process is gluing and laminating slabs and sanding them down to draw and router on, and cherry has a rich feel. We also leave a lot of the wood exposed, because it’s so pretty.”
Nate met Bree while snowboarding at the Park City Mountain halfpipe 20 years ago.
“She was ditching class and I had snuck into the pipe,” he said with a laugh. “Then we ended up sitting next to each other in a huge auditorium during a class at the University of Utah, and that’s when things kind of took off for us.”
Artique Owner Katie Stellpflug discovered the Millards’ craft at a boutique in Kamas.
“I saw their prints, and I was curious,” she said. “I looked them up, and saw their things on social media.”
Stellpflug noticed the couple had moved to Oakley two years ago.
“I reached out and told them that their work would fit at Artique, because they are that cool, rustic and vintage Americana look — old ski posters, and that kind of thing,” she said. “Then they invited me to their brand new studio.”
The BAN Supply Collaboration’s showcase at Artique is billed as a guest appearance, according to Stellpflug.
“We don’t do guest shows very often, but we’ve done guest-artist popups here and there,” she said. “We did a February opening one year with Tandem Chocolates. And the difference is that the artists who usually show at First Friday also take turns running the shop.”
While the Millards are not scheduled to mind the shop, Stellpflug still wanted to introduce them to the area.
“I think they have a good following, and they have a good representation at the Porcupine Pub, but I think because they are local, this is a good way for people to meet them,” she said. “Plus, we have less artists than I’ve ever had, and we were really missing some stuff on the walls. In addition to the BAN Supply Co., we’ll have some Valentine’s Day items as well.”
The Millards are looking forward to the show.
“It’s an adorable shop, and Katie’s worked her butt off for 13 years to keep it open,” Bree said. “So, I’m excited.”
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