About the Artists
CJ Rench
With over 60 public works in 31 different states as well as works in both Europe and Canada. CJ Rench is a highly skilled and experienced artist and sculptor with a strong background in public art, and metal fabrication. CJ has over 30 years’ experience in both design and fabrication. He has a passion for promoting and installing art, both in public and private settings. He has a long strategic planning and management background backed with a track record of successful projects. His highly organized skills in design and communication make him an asset in working with community groups, committees, project managers and all the stake holders of large and small projects.
Specializing in metal sculpture, all of the colorful pieces are painted with industrial Tnemec advanced paints and fabricated from mild steel, stainless steel or aluminum for durability and timeless quality. Incorporating glass, acrylic, kinetics, lighting and other design elements C.J. creates unique works for all his projects. Most of all, he wants his sculptures to invite, inspire, and connect people, of all ages.
CJ’s artwork spans from public, private and corporate collections throughout the globe. His unique designs have given him the opportunity to work for numerous national firms including Universal Studios, Resers Fine Foods, and Red Bull. Always on the leading edge, C.J. worked with Red Bull to create the world’s first public art installation designed and built specifically to be skateboarded. “Skatespace”, the project is a concept aimed at reshaping the way we view and interact with public art. All works are fabricated at his studio in Hood River, Oregon where he lives with his wife and daughter.
“I use bold colors in my works, after all life is colorful, joyful and exhilarating why shouldn’t your art be?”
“I strive to create sculptures that are inviting and inspiring, sculptures that provide smiles and memories for everyone regardless of their age.”
Growing up in her family’s home in Hood River, Oregon, Katen was constantly surrounded by creative energy. The house was filled with art, and her mother—an equally creative force—encouraged her to explore freely through clay, painting, drawing, and time spent outdoors. At age nine, Katen had begun creating her own designs—drawing, making handmade cards, and gifting her parents small works of art. She often sketched playful abstract forms simply to keep her imagination moving, and she noticed her father doing the same, except he transformed his drawings into sculptural works. Just five minutes away, his sculpture studio offered yet another world of imagination, and Katen often joined her mother on visits to see what new projects were taking shape. Inspired, she began gathering leftover pieces from his models, giving him her favorite designs to laser-cut from wood, painting them in bright, joyful colors and gluing them together to create her own first small sculptures—marking the early roots of her artistic path.
By the age of five, Katen was already tagging along on sculpture installations. Her role in those early days was simple—napping in the car during long drives and running around the site while her dad was working hard installing them—but the experience planted seeds she wouldn’t recognize until much later. Fifteen years afterward, she found herself stepping into a very different role: the main welder and fabricator working side-by-side with her father, driving to installations not as a passenger but as part of the team, donning yellow vests and hard hats, and running around now with purpose.
Before returning to the family’s artistic path, Katen held several customer-service jobs. She quickly realized she needed work that was more tactile and fulfilling. Over time, as she continued joining installation trips, she began helping with small tasks—delivering sculptures, repainting pieces, and eventually asking her father not only to teach her to weld but also to guide her through the full, complex process of fabricating the sculptures from concept to completion. She became immediately captivated by the process. As her passion grew, she phased out her other jobs and shifted her attention fully to the studio.
Many years in the making—almost without her noticing—Katen is fully immersed in the shop and business. Today she continues to build her craft as part of a proud father-daughter team, contributing her skill and dedication to the evolving legacy of the studio.