Director | Art + Design | Brand Marketing
About Michael Anthony Studio
Michael Anthony Studio was founded in 1971 in suburban Chicago as a source and a workshop dedicated to custom design and woodworking.
Over a period of five decades, Michael has focused on fine craftsmanship and design, attention to detail, and use of the highest quality materials and methods in his work. His love of wood has possessed him, launching him to unlimited ideas over the years. His work exists in commercial and public spaces as well as private residences.
Today, through the culmination of time and experience, Michael has created a pavilion of fine art products (including sculpture, painting and limited edition prints), fine art accessories (lighted bases and stone, glass and wood bases), and specialty furniture pieces. He has both curated and been hands-on with several pieces and series that he offers.
Michael’s love for wood and working with natural materials, coupled with a meticulous attention to detail and esthetics, was a perfect foundation for his vocation to woodworking. Michael Anthony Studio quickly became known for his designs and custom work.
His work can be found homes, boardrooms, banks, airports commercial sports facilities and stadiums as well as in the Catholic Archdioceses.
Altars & Columbarium Lighting
Michael started by designing an urn when his grandmother passed. This touching event moved him to create the Art Vessels trademark and a line of “designer” vessels within the Memorial Arts Studio division of Michael Anthony Studio.
The Catholic Archdiocese tapped Michael’s knowledge of concealed construction and skills of matching beautiful wood veneers to build altars in the churches when they changed their philosophy for the priest to face the congregation in the sanctuary during mass.
The Archdiocese was most impressed with Michael’s eye for detail and his love for wood. The altars he built blended with the elaborate surroundings Catholic churches are known for because of the craftsmanship and fine detail he puts into everything he designs.
After all churches were converted, the altar project was completed and the Catholic religion accepted cremation as a way of burial, Michael’s company was selected to help retrofit mausoleums with his trademarked designs of Beautifulwood™ columbaria products mainly because of Michael’s innovative use of lighting. The company grew in the memorial arts division of Michael Anthony Studio and Michael’s work received patents on many of his memorial products, which included his lighting concepts.
In 2017, the memorial business was sold to slowdown and focus work on light bases and Ecopods.
Dessert Carts with Lighting
Michael Anthony Studio won the design competition from a large food service company that serviced over one hundred sports stadiums across the United States and Canada. His skill in crafting curvilinear cabinet forms with high-end wood veneers, floating concealed wheels, and new lighting technology of the time contributed to his award winning concept.
Michael’s cart design featured a refrigerated ice cream drawer that is integrated beneath the serving surface of every dessert cart.
The mobile design allows the carts to service multiple sky boxes, while the low-voltage lighting creates an unsurpassed ambiance to showcase the dessert selections.
Although low-voltage lighting is more “normal” today, Michael was one of the earliest to realize the capabilities and to utilize the lights to their fullest.
EcoPods with Low Voltage Lighting
Michael moved his wood working facility from downtown Chicago to a small town in northwest Indiana in 1986. There, on the 34 acre wooded site, Michael built getaway vacation cottages for his Chicago clientele. Over the years his tiny house designs evolved into effective designed green, solar powered, low voltage lit, and eco-friendly homes. His designs for the federal government encompassed completely off-grid ranger station housing for the Bureau of Land Management.
Michael Anthony Studio focuses on eco-friendly high-end well built tiny homes. The current technology incorporates 350 milliamp ultra-low voltage lighting.
The Ecopod™ is a well-built solution for those who desire to downsize into a small yet feature-rich home.
EcoPod™ is currently manufactured in Elkhart, Indiana and central Florida.
Lighting for Art
Michael and his wife, Estella, are both well -known artists in their fields and Estella wanted lighted bases made that are as beautiful as her sculptures. So, naturally, she turned to the person she knew who would provide the best.
Thus, was born the new line of lighting for any kind of art… directly from Michael Anthony Studio. Michael Anthony Studio offers a variety of lighting solutions for most any kind of art, whether it be a painting, sculpture, table, hanging, or architectural.
The studio is presently located in north central Florida where he has his workshop, shipping facility, inventory and offices.
Every lighting product created is hand-made at the Florida facility so you are buying a product that is proudly “Made in the USA“.
Michael created lighting for all kinds of art; whether they are sculptures, paintings, photo art or whatever your favorite medium is, Michael can make it stand out more. Contact Michael Anthony Studio for your next lighting project.