JOHN F. METZLER Founder of Urban Tree Forge Dies at age 46

John Metzler, Founder of Urban Tree Forge died at age 46 on May 13th, 2010. John was an extremely active member of the Pittsburgh art community, both as a creator of imaginative powerful works made from reclaimed wood, and a supporter of the arts who attended countless events, often with his longtime partner, Pittsburgh artist Randie Snow. John was killed in a shocking accident in which a uhaul trailer on a road nearby came unhinged, striking him while he was outside of his studio working on a piece.

John was doing a lot of interesting and important work. The Post-Gazette had just done a profile on John in their May 2nd, 2010 issue:http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10122/1054556-437.stm?cmpid=newspanel0 Every city would certainly benefit from having an Urban Tree Forge, and hopefully the work at The Forge will be able to continue.

Sadly, his news obituary can be read here:http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10135/1058360-122.stm

Information about funeral arrangments can be found here:http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=john-f-metzler&pid=142791143

John Morris and I really admired his beautiful pieces, his contribution to making Pittsburgh a livable city, and his passion for recycling wonderful old trees. And I am sure we have a lot of company.