Berkeley Signs is proud to announce that sign artist Steve Vigeant has been featured on SFGATE’s Humans of San Francisco series. Their article crafts a portrait of the sign artist, recognizing his contributions to the community, particularly the spectacular signs he has made for the Bay Area, as well as the restoration of historic signage.
Recognizing 30 Years of Sign Artist Excellence
SFGATE’s heartwarming tribute expounds upon Steve’s 30 years in the sign-making business and how he has crafted some of the Bay Area’s most iconic signs as well a more ordinary sights and displays, from storefront signs for local businesses to window graphics and hand-painted interior signs. His masterpieces as well as his more “mundane” works alike come together to shape the look of the Bay Area’s cities. He has influenced the appearance of cityscapes traversed by countless denizens in the course of their daily lives.
The highlights of his portfolio include the spectacular gold-lettered windows of San Francisco’s City Hall, which appears in countless couples’ wedding photos. Steve calls it the “wedding window.”
He recounts that “most extreme usage” of his skills would be Cole Hardware sign in North Beach. For that project he crafted each letter and gilded them with brass leaf, before painting the store’s offerings in gold leaf. Then he assisted with the store’s electric sign.
In Berkeley’s College Avenue Steve recounts creating the signage for more than 15 storefronts. “The feeling that you’ve affected the look of the neighborhood is a special feeling,” Steve says in his interview with SFGATE. “It’s a really rewarding feeling when it becomes part of a very successful business.”
Humble Origins of a Sign Artist
He recounts how he started creating signage during the 1970s when he showed an aptitude for copying cartoons. His dad recognized as a talent that could be of use for their family real estate business. Steve started painting real estate signs when he was 16, before taking on more projects in his New Jersey hometown.
As he headed to the East Coast he stopped across different cities, creating signs along the way from Chicago to New Orleans to Los Angeles, on his way to college in the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Eventually he set up his own company, Berkeley Signs in Oakland. There at his base of operations he would hone his craft as a sign artist and produce more high quality signage for local businesses as well as private customers, helping define the look of the Bay Area in his own way. And the rest is history!
Berkeley Signs – A San Francisco Bay Area Sign Company
Quality Custom Signage In The Bay Area For Over 30 Years
🎨🖌️ With Sign Artist Steve Vigeant
Berkeley, CA • 94703
Specializing in Gold Leaf Signs, Hand Painted Artistic Signs, Murals, and Custom Storefront Signs.
Serving the entire San Francisco, Oakland and Bay Area.
Contact us for a Sign Estimate.
510-398-4700