Stainless Steel Plaques Tell the Stories of Santa Monica Beach

Impact Signs produced these etched stainless steel plaques from a marine grade, alloy 316 stainless steel to be able to withstand the Los Angeles ocean coastal environment, and also the many tourists and locals alike who will visit the beach and read the stories on the plaques. Not sure which would be considered the bigger threat? The plaques are in prominent places along the beach, and  and provide an historical background to some of the places, events, and people that shaped Santa Monica Beach.

Very detailed photos reproduced in halftone dot pattern. 

Each plaque tells a unique interesting story and includes a detailed photograph. You dont have to go to Los Angeles to see the metal plaques, For more information - http://smbeachstories.com/. Here is more information on stainless steel plaques.

Here are some larger more detailed images

“It’s rather “off-the-scale” actually.  Beyond my best expectations.  You all did a beautiful job.” 

Expressed Victor Salvo, Founder and Executive Director of The Legacy Project.

The Legacy Project is a series of historic bronze plaques and kiosks on Halsted Street in Chicago. It is an educational and architectural project showcasing the extraordinary achievements of notable LGBT  people in history, whose stories have been mostly untold. The project is the first of its kind, anywhere in the world. To learn more, visit  The Legacy Project.

Here is an excerpt from an article in Windy City Times, describing Impact Signs involvement in the historic project.

“As a Chicagoan, it was a pleasure to work on this project. It’s a great blend of history, education, and architecture. We’re grateful that we were selected to work on this historic project,” said Shabbir Moosabhoy, co-owner of Impact Architectural Signs.

Victor Salvo, founder and executive director of the Legacy Project said, “What struck me was that Shabbir, even though he isn’t from our community, loved the Legacy Project and instinctively understood why it was important. He was willing to go the extra mile to help us develop a project that was years away from realization. That he stayed with us and offered whatever advice and help he could—including having a terrific mock-up made for us to use to market plaque sponsorships, without having a contract up front—is a testament to his ability to see beyond the paperwork and appreciate the uniqueness of the project and the larger opportunity it represents for everyone involved. His graphic assistant, Jesus Perez, couldn’t have been more helpful.”

For more information, please read the following press release regarding the project.

The Unveiling of the plaque of Dr Pantoja on October 11, 2012

A perfect blend of typography, balance, and history:

Here are the final plaque layouts, designed by Jesus Perez, of Impact Signs

Bronze Photo Plaques in Production – A Step by Step

Graphic design, typography, plaque layout, and photo editing – the first step. The design is everything. The plaques could only be as good as the design!

Victor Salvo, and Shabbir Moosabhoy collaborating, and reviewing final plaque layouts, and approving for production

The plaque designs were then replicated in a dimensional polymer mold and clay sculpture for the photo relief (this is a proprietary process). The mold is then given to the foundry, where it is cast in a sand mold (hollow)

Pure bronze ignots, melted at 2600 degrees, was then poured into the sand castings

This is the raw bronze photo plaque, after it cooled, and the sand casting was removed. It was then sandblasted, to remove debris

Another image of the raw bronze plaques, moving through coolling and sandblasting

This is the plaque with background color dark oxide finish paint applied. Raised letters and border will then be sanded, revealing the bronze finish

A proprietary hand rubbed, dark oxide stain on the photo relief adds texture, depth, and character to the portrait

The plaques were then belt sanded, hand finish sanded, buffed, and coated with a polyurethane clear coat, ready for the Windy City winters (and summers!)

Victor Salvo inspecting the final bronze plaques at Impact Signs before they are installed on the kiosks on Halsted Street!

And Some Detailed Images of the final plaques, installed in their place on Halsted Street. 

Plaques in New York – Building Dedication Plaque for AARP

Impact Signs designed, produced and installed this plaque in New York for AARP, our long time client. The plaque marks the dedication of a rooftop garden in honor of the founder of AARP, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. Salvation Army, and other organizations also donated to the project, and are mentioned on the dedication plaque. A nice quote is also cast in the plaque from the founder:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are today”

Impact Signs designs and produces plaques in New York for a wide variety of clients including corporate, education, military, and organizations. We work with aluminum, brass, stainless steel, glass, and bronze. These plaques are a great way to commemorate, memorialize, and dedicate a building to founders and donors of a project. Trust Impact Signs to help deliver your vision for a metal plaque in New York and accross the country. Installation service is available in New York for all types of metal plaques. Rush service is also available if needed. Please contact us today. For more information, see bronze plaques

Here are some more detailed images

This Bronze Plaque, designed and produced by Impact Signs, was installed on the Chicago Row House on Lincoln Ave where Pelty lived for 38 years. Historical Bronze plaques such as these serve a great architectural purpose, to educate, memorialize, and add vibrancy and character to the city’s architecture. The photo is done by a method called photo relief, which is cast into the bronze plaque with texture, and then had rubbed with a bronze oxide paint to create the subtle texture and contrast. The result is a memorial portrait with substantial character, to serve as a timeless memorial.

Lee Pelty  was an American musical theatre actor, best known for his performances in numerous productions of Fiddler on the Roof, especially at the Old Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Chicago.

We have produced numerous bronze plaques in Chicago for a variety of clients ranging from memorials, building dedications, corporate, and museums.

Like the characters in whom he specialized, Lee Pelty had an eclectic, roving life. As he was born and raised in Panama, Spanish was his first language. He became a basketball star in Panama, playing for the Olympic team. He first came to Chicago as a teenager and studied chemical engineering at Purdue University, but pursued an avocation with the university glee club that set the direction of his future career.

City of Shasta Lake – Cast Bronze Seals - Ok, so its not really that close to the San Francisco Bay Area. But most people dont’t know where Shasta Lake is. But they should. It is extremely beautiful. And any trip to the Bay Area warrants a trip up north……..but I digress. I won’t say that anyone that goes up to Shasta should go check out the new 5 foot diameter bronze Plaques we created for their new Village Hall, because who would do that?  Only me I guess, so I posted some images here for you to see.

These are solid bronze plaques, with the city name and seal cast in the bronze. The raised areas have a satin finish, and the background is a bronze oxide color. This is to date, the largest single bronze seal we have created.

The building project was developed by Lakmann Construction, and we were thankful for the opportunity to be able to work on this project with them. Installation of the large 5 foot diameter bronze seals was handled by them, into a recessed cavity set in on the stone building. You will also notice oxidized bronze letters, also made by Impact Signs,  carefully installed by Lakmann on the irregular stone facade. Now that is a lot of difficult holes drilled (only people in the industry would notice, or be impressed I guess)

The logo art was carefully reproduced, and you will notice the attention to detail in the mountain shapes. 2 smaller bronze seals were also installed inside in the council chambers.

I just had to make this trip to the Bay Area, and up to Shasta Lake………..to go see and get photos of the plaques and signage of course

While budget does come into play in the decision process,  nothing matches the beauty and permanence of a bronze bas relief portrait. It is a chance to combine the enduring distinction of bronze, with the legacy, memory, prestige, and honor of a founder, donor, visionary, leader, or loved one.

Bas relief (bah’ruh-leef) – A French term that means “low-raised work.” This art, combined with “high relief” is known as relief sculpture. It is meant to be viewed from one direction as opposed to sculpture meant to be viewed in the round.

We start with a photograph that you provide. Although we can use almost any quality photograph, the better the image the better the modeling effort. Our in house artist /sculptor creates a clay model, an image of which is sent to you via email for your comments or approval. When approved, the clay model is used for the bronze casting process.  While the clay model is a monotone, the finished bronze casting contains highlights, applied via our exclusive hand finishing / staining process.  The bas relief is mechanically attached to the  background of the bronze memorial plaque
Typically the overall height of around 6″ to 9″ with a finished depth of 3/4″ to 1″.

While most commonly associated with bust portraits of people, bas-reliefs are also effective for depicting buildings seals, historical vignettes and many logos.

(A bas relief itself costs $2100 – $2700, and in the range of $3000 – $6000 including the bronze plaque, depending on the size and other factors. Lead time is typically 6-8 weeks. At times we can produce in a shorter timeframe, if needed.)

You can’t improve on perfection, so when UBM Studios needed the perfect corporate signage for the lobby of its New York headquarters, it asked Impact! Signs to create a work of art from its logo. We proposed dark oxidized and verde patina bronze for UBM’s business sign in New York.

The artists at Impact! Signs developed a design that was true to UBM’s stylized “U” logo, but figuring out how to do it was a puzzle. For one thing, the Impact! Signs designers had to choose just the right scale for the building’s soaring ceilings. Then, finding the right placement on the wall nearly drove the designers crazy. And the installation — you think it’s easy, stud mounting 34 pieces of flat metal to a curved surface? Let’s just say it wasn’t your everyday corporate sign install. The business signs New York designers create couldn’t be any more challenging.

But the people at Impact! Signs are artisans who make it look easy. The end result is an extraordinary interpretation of UBM’s brand identity: a 48″ tall, natural metal sculpture of the familiar UBM Studios logo. The sign is lit by loft-style track lighting, and its metal shapes cast shadows on the mushroom-colored lobby wall.

In the execution of the design, the warm patina of verde bronze meets cool modern style in a sophisticated take on UBM’s logo. The 24 hand-finished bronze disks bring a contemporary touch to a sign for a hip company. UBM Studios is the global leader in digital marketing solutions, creating and hosting virtual communities and events. That’s right; they’re the cool kids you’re always hearing so much about. UBM Studios has offices in North America, Europe and Asia.

The studio’s name, with its blend of upper and lowercase letters, is crafted in dark, oxidized bronze letters. Just like the dots that make up the “U”, the lettering for the “UBM Studios” part of the sign comes straight from the UBM logo. The natural metal finish and 3-D structure take the two-dimensional logo and reinvent it.

Most bronze memorial plaques are designed to have a high tolerance for extreme temperature fluctuations. Normal temperature changes in most climates, indoors or outdoors, will have no adverse effect upon these signs. Of course, extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes and tornadoes can damage bronze plaques, but extreme temperature changes alone will usually not cause a problem.

Ask the sign manufacturer if there are any temperature or weather issues that you should be aware of when purchasing your logo sign. If there are any weather or temperature problems associated with your bronze plaques, ask for details and be sure to get any maintenance instructions to effectively deal with potential problems.

Bronze memorial plaques may eventually develop a greenish patina on its surface from exposure to moisture and air. Keeping the plaque clean and free of dust slows this process, and patina can be removed if it does develop.

Tulsa, OK (PRWEB) October 31, 2010

The mostly untold story of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riots now has a permanent voice at John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park in Tulsa.

The park features a majestic 25-foot-tall bronze tower encircled by 12 large bronze memorial plaques that faithfully recount what ignited, and transpired during and after, one of the most tragic race-related events in our nation’s history. Until now, the story has been largely suppressed. However, the plaques now make public a chronicle of injustice, fear, vigilante behavior, and extraordinary loss and destruction.The bronze plaques are the work of sign company Impact Architectural Signs.

“It is painful to realize that what can only be described as ‘ethnic cleansing’ took place in our nation, and that it has been virtually wiped from the history books,” said U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. “No one was ever convicted for this outrage.”

“Racism, and its violent manifestations, are part of (the) nation’s past that we cannot avoid,” Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich, said.

Impact! Architectural Signs VP Shabbir Moosabhoy states, “Participating on this historic project has been an honor for us. Having been selected to do the work is quite humbling.”

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) December 27, 2011

Corporate sign manufacturer Impact! Signs introduces a streamlined service that guarantees new sign installation anywhere in the U.S. within three weeks. Available at the start of 2012, this service helps a company brand itself almost immediately after its designer has completed the artwork.

With installers located strategically throughout the country, the architectural sign maker can reach any locale in a matter of hours.

Impact! tested the service in recent months with clients that requested challenging deadlines. Branding sign designers for Ryan Specialty Group, Smucker’s, and Stratford Fidelity presented intricate projects with demanding deadlines. Impact! responded to the tight production and installation schedules with a pace that would have been impossible for many smaller sign producers to match.

This rapid delivery announcement comes as welcome news for brand designers. According to company VP Shabbir Moosabhoy, “More than ever, designers are integrating custom branding and office signs into their clients’ offices and the surrounding environmental graphics as part of their services. As their projects become increasingly complex, timetables consequently suffer. We serve as a partner, and bring peace of mind to these firms so they can continue to impress their corporate clients.”

Indeed, Impact! believes in being involved in the design process early to assist designers in realizing their vision. This synergy actually helps the project progress more efficiently and reach desired results faster. According to Moosabhoy, the company currently enjoys partnerships with graphic design firms, interior designers, architects, marketing and ad agencies, and brand consultants to name a few.

Products available with fast track product include dimensional metal letters and logos, etched glass signs, custom logo signs, and stainless steel and bronze plaques.

For more information about Impact! Signs’ custom signage services, and contact Shabbir Moosabhoy.