Today we’d like to introduce you to David M Wiesand
Hi David, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started McLain Wiesand in 1986; graduated from MICA MFA painting 1981; I came from a family of ardent collectors of decorative arts, paintings, sculpture, architectural fragments- My father was a contractor but his passion was in antiques, art, restoration. My Mom was at MICA in the 1930’s; I sometimes think of it that my business grew out of both of my parents love of the arts. The first 10 years I focused mostly on selling fine art and antiques on Historic Antique Row Howard street; I started my own line of furnishishings, lighting and decorative arts by slowly creating pieces and mixing them in with my vintage offerings. The business morphed into all custom design and built pieces slowly but surely. There was and is a constant exploration of exotic materials, experimentation with materials and painted finishes which are off the beaten path of what is currently available in the market place, which sets McLain Wiesand apart. We do mold making and casting, paint murals, offer design services along with our mainstay of wood and metal furnishings and lighting. We can custom make almost anything along with our own line pieces, which we can also customize to any size or finish.
We are a family business in the true sense, I feel my grandfather, father, my daughter Lex Wiesand ( co-owner) and I have made a name for ourselves in the business of art and design. We usually have 5 or 6 full time staff and rely on our stable of local artisans to assist in fabrication. McLain Wiesand is represented in 9 high end design center showrooms around the country. We have made things for presidents, governors, Hollywood celebrities and sports stars.
Our current space in Mt. Vernon takes up 3 buildings-We have been in downtown Baltimore since our beginning and would like to stay here- Baltimore is my home ( I actually live above the shop!) The studio and living space are a proverbial cabinet of curiousities: Lots of art, sculpture, artifacts and antiques for inspiration.
Last year I opened a new venture: House Demiurge, a brick and mortar shop in one of our carriage houses on Morton street, behind McLain Wiesand. I feel I am going back to my roots of having a retail shop ( like my start on Howard street 38 years ago) where we sell antiques, vintage clothing, art, curiousities and gifts.
This business has been a most incredible journey for me personally, the skills I have developed as a result of my success, the people I have met and bonded with along the way, the satisfying act of being of service, making clients happy, and being able to say that I don’t feel like I am going to work everyday, I am going to learn, enjoy and create beautiful things. David Wiesand
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Having only an art background made starting and running a business a challenge; one of my mentors, Alexander Baer, Baltimore interior designer, told me once to ” work my strengths, and hire my weaknesses”. That stuck with me to this day; know when to call in someone to help with things one is not well versed in.
Finding artisans to help with the work is also an on going challenge, I sometimes feel what we do here falls into the category of dying arts.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
From over 45 years of being involved in the arts and design field, I think of myself as someone skilled in many different disciplines: Design, drawing, painting, sculpture, welding, woodworking, jewelry, sewing, gold leaf, faux finishing, construction, antique restoration, and the list goes on. Some of these things I learned because I wanted to, some as a necessity. I am truly amazed by my skill sets, and its only dawned on me in the last few years how good I have become at them: my Mentor Robert Greene says it takes 1o thousand hours to gain mastery over a skill; it is truly satisfying when one notices the mastery they have obtained from putting in the work. What sets me apart is almost never saying no to a challenge, I love to figure things out, take on projects doing things that I feel a drive to make happen and taking them to completion.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am very poorly traveled. It is on my list of things to do in this stage of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mclainwiesand.com and www.housedemiurge.com
- Instagram: mclain Wiesand ; house demiurge
