Rustic Steel Creations In New Retail Space, Tampa

Rustic Steel Creations will host a grand opening of its new retail store in the Channel District in downtown Tampa on June 30.

For more than eight years, the company has been making art out of its fabrication shop at 114 S. 12th St. in Tampa, however, RSC recently moved its retail business. The new 1,100-square-foot space, named The Store, opened at 101 N. 12th St. on June 9.

"A lot of people were afraid to come into the shop," says RSC Owner Dominique Martinez. "Now, we have a lot of people come in saying they always wondered what we did but were too intimidated -- most people won't just walk into a fabrication shop."

Dealing with what Martinez calls "found objects," RSC focuses on making art for private, public and corporate use. The most popular items are custom mirrors, candlesticks, furniture, wall and hanging art, wine racks and free standing sculptures made out of recycled materials. Since the opening of The Store, RSC has been making more art for large corporations than ever before, recently teaming up with Verizon and Southwest Airlines.

"We've really been selling a lot more thus far because it's a very inviting place where we can display what we've made in a nice, clean setting. People seem to appreciate that a lot more," says Martinez, who paid out of pocket for the space on Whiting and 12th Street. "We chose the Channel District because it's a very, very ideal setting for our type of art and I really think we're a good addition and complement to the neighborhood. I want to be nothing but a positive impact to what we do here and I really think we're on the right track."

The Store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Dominique Martinez, Rustic Steel Creations