Meet Laura Pate of Brown Mountain Art Restoration

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Pate.

Laura, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It is not surprising that I find my life surrounded by wonderful works of art. As a child, our home was filled with art. My father traveled the world with documentary film crews and each time he returned home he brought a painting or a ceramic piece that was representative of the countries he visited. I also remember my brother and sisters joining my parents on the living room floor, drawing or painting our own masterpieces on brown butcher paper. I have always had a love of being around art and creating art.

At the University of Texas I majored in art history and during the summers I backpacked through Europe, exploring the great museums of France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Back in Texas, I volunteered and interned at several galleries and museums while still in school. A few years after graduation, I accepted a position as an apprentice at a small art restoration company called Brown Mountain, named after its founder, Libby Brown. Under Libby’s tutelage, I learned how to restore all kinds of works of art, some quite valuable, others prized only for their sentimental value. I love what I do and have owned the company for 18 years. I have 2 invaluable staff members, Kathy Robinson-Hays and Amy Dobson, who have been with me since the beginning.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As with any small business, the road forward is not always smooth. In the beginning, as a petite young woman who was just taking over the business, I found it difficult for people to take me seriously. It was probably a combination of time passing and my growing confidence, but in time clients realized that my staff and I are experts in our field. Word of mouth and testimonials from satisfied clients -museums, churches, collectors – demonstrated that our work was of the highest quality. That was a long time ago, however, and I rarely come across that issue anymore.

I also struggle, as a business owner, bidding projects. Unfortunately, it takes a very long time to restore a piece of art, it’s not something you can rush through. Many of our clients bring us paintings or other objects of great sentimental value – perhaps a portrait of an ancestor that has been torn or needs cleaning, or both. The problem is that it takes just as much time and skill to restore a masterpiece as it does to repair the portrait of someone’s grandfather. It is difficult to charge the same rate for each project, but it is based on the time it takes, not on the value of the piece.

Please tell us about Brown Mountain Art Restoration.
I suppose the thing about Brown Mountain of which I’m most proud is that my associates, Kathy Robinson-Hays and Amy Dobson and I, are still together after 18 years. I think it’s pretty rare in these days of professional mobility. We are three distinct individuals who each create art on our own time. We have separate personal lives and individual views of the world. Yet, when it comes to a commitment to the conservation and preservation of the beautiful things in that world, we come to the studio and work as a team. Perhaps this mutual commitment, along with the excellence we strive for, is what sets us apart from others.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I have no regrets! I have loved the journey so far….

Contact Info:

• Address: Brown Mountain Art Restoration
  2809 N. Henderson Ave.,
  Dallas, Texas 75206
• Website: www.brownmountainrestoration.com
• Phone: 214-824-3205
• Email: inquire@brownmountainrestoration.com
• Facebook: @brownmountainartrestoration

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