Thank you to Dale Rogers Jr. for hosting the Rye Art Travel Group.
Specializing in large-scale metal sculpture, Dale designs work for both private collectors and public exhibits. Striving to create thought-provoking work that is sophisticated, Dale works with both stainless steel and cor-ten steel. The process for creating his art takes at least six months from conception to completion. When an idea comes to Dale, he thinks about it for some time before creating a sketch and then transferring that idea into metal. Using 3-D software to perfect the image, Dale breaks it apart into workable pieces to be laser cut.
Growing up on his family's dairy farm in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Dale's interest in TIG welding and working with metal began when he taught himself to repair metal equipment. From a young age, Dale was designing and creating. It was this talent his fifth-grade teacher Ann Lopresti noticed that helped change Dale's life forever. Struggling in school, Ann encouraged Dale's artistic abilities, building his self-esteem and confidence. Dale continued pursuing his talent in high school, where his art teacher, Sue Paridis, also fostered his creativity, encouraging him to experiment with many different art forms and media.
After graduating high school, Dale attended Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester and majored in Business. Upon graduation, Dale returned to his family farm and converted it from a dairy farm to the water-bottling plant Spring Hill Water. Responsible for keeping the bottling equipment running, Dale performed what he coined "quick and dirty welding" on the equipment to improve the plant's efficiency. This remedial task piqued Dale's interest. After experimenting with the welding medium further, he became consumed by it, and a passion was born.
Working as a professional metal sculptor since 2002, his true love for the art likes in abstract geometrics. Much of Dale's work encompasses the clean, simple properties of that style. Over the years, Dale has incorporated iconic and whimsical shapes into his collection, including his most recognizable design, The American Dog. This sculpture is also the centerpiece for Dale's traveling exhibit, The Big Dog Show. To date, this show has visited 23 cities in 11 states and raised more than half a million dollars for various nonprofit organizations. Dale's work can also be found in private collections in 49 states.
Dale's ultimate goal is to expose as many individuals to art as he possibly can: "I want to be part of placing art in as many public venues as possible. I truly believe that adding sculpture to the public landscape forever enhances the environment, and the art serves as a reflection of the quality of the community."
