Anyone who’s been around Tampa a while has enjoyed the work of the welding artist Dominique Martinez, who’s created everything from fearsome dragons to graceful gateways. His most visible recent accomplishment is the beautifully fabricated entry art at Ulele — a sculpture of interlocking gears fashioned to look like they might have been part of the former water works building the restaurant occupies, and painted in warm greens and oranges that suggest the culinary flavors within. But this groundbreaking entrepreneur’s most exciting achievement may be his new workspace/gallery/events venue in Tampa Heights, where he moved last year after construction near his former Channel District studios proved untenable for his business. Now he’s got room to expand, designs on nearby properties, and a proper home for imagining the possibilities of steel. 3919 N. Highland Ave., Tampa, 813-222-0016, rusticsteel.com
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2014.