About Berry Bate
Berry Bate is a native of Bronxville, New York. She graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina with a Bachelor of Music degree in voice in 1975. It was during those college years that she found her true calling by working with metal.
After teaching music in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a year, and related arts in New Jersey for another year, she then attended graduate school at Western Carolina University majoring in sculpture. She also attended John Campbell Folk School and learned the art of blacksmithing.
Berry started her first business, "Fire Form" in 1979 in a chicken coop in Waynesville, North Carolina. In 1980 she moved to Asheville and founded Asheville Ironworks, Inc. One of her first challenges was the fabrication of the primary fence atop the pinnacle of Chimney Rock State Park, where she and her crew had to rappel off the edge of the rock in order to do the installation.
For two decades she worked at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville creating various architectural pieces, including a main gate, garden wall railings, and numerous chandeliers. In 1986 she was a consultant for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty.
In 1995 Berry sold Asheville Ironworks, Inc. and then founded Sculpture by Berry Bate where she and her talented assistants still create beautiful artistic architectural ironwork and sculptures in iron, bronze and copper.
Major Accomplishments
National
Statue of Liberty: Restoration Consultant, New York, N.Y.
North Carolina
Biltmore Estate: Ornamental gate, railings in the walled gardens, chandeliers, and trash receptacles
The Inn at Biltmore: Numerous chandeliers and railings
Billy Graham's "The Cove": All chandeliers in the chapel, dining room, and main foyer
Chimney Rock State Park: Ornamental fence surrounding the top of mountain
Grove Park Inn: Elevator enclosure, seven sculptural wall pieces, railings leading to The Spa and restaurants
Duke Mansion: Architectural Ironwork Master Plan
North Carolina Arboretum: "Root Bench," permanent collection
Hendersonville, N.C., Jump Off Rock: Fence surrounding top of mountain
South Carolina
Bilo Corporate office: Entrance gate
Brookgreen Gardens: "Low Country Harvest" sculpture, numerous gates and trash receptacles
City of Spartanburg: "Peach Tree" sculpture on Main and Pine streets
Converse College: "Anthem in Form" sculpture, "Magnolia" wall sculpture
Duke Power corporate office: Railings and gates
Extended Stay Corporate Headquarters: "Palmetto Tree Fountain" at Daniel Square
Furman University: "Rock and Root Fountain," rose garden railings, fence surrounding soccer field
Spartanburg Women's Clinic: Stork sculpture
City of Charleston: Nathanial Russell House restoration, Wragg Square restoration, Market Hall restoration
South Carolina Governor's School of the Arts: Gate depicting related arts
Lawson's Fork Writers Group: Sculpture "Rebirth"
International
Caymen Islands: Sculptures "Leaning of the Palms" and "Mother Ocean"
Berry Bate conducting "Anthem in Form," a sculpture depicting music in iron and stainless steel. The sculpture is permanently installed on the music building at Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.