From a Two-Car Garage to 40-Foot Sculptures: The Story Behind Stark Raven Fab
What began as a single project in a two-car garage has grown into one of Santa Fe’s most versatile large-scale fabrication shops.
On a recent segment of KSWV Radio, Calli, owner of Stark Raven Fabrication, shared how her business took shape — not through a long-term business plan, but through opportunity.
“Oh, I opened on accident. It was not intentional,” she said.
At the time, Calli was working as a large-scale art installation specialist, traveling nationally and internationally. But in 2021, during the pandemic, much of that work came to a halt.
“I used to travel nationally and internationally doing my work for both public spaces and large-scale events,” she said. “And I sat still for a minute. Here in Santa Fe.”
Then came the phone call that changed everything.
“A friend called me and said, hey, my boss wants this large cyberpunk themed bar. And I thought of you. Is that something you can do?” she recalled. “And I kind of like looked at the two car garage on the property that I was on. And I looked at the project that they wanted and I went. Yeah, I think I can make that happen.”
That project launched Stark Raven Fab.
A Shop That “Runs the Gambit”
Today, Stark Raven Fabrication operates out of a 4,000-square-foot warehouse space near the edge of town. The scope of work has expanded dramatically.
“I run Stark Raven Fabrication, which is a large scale fabrication shop here in town,” Calli said. “We do everything from gates and fences and doors to display cases and large-scale artwork.”
The company works with local artists to scale their pieces for public display and partners with commercial developers and state art programs to fulfill installation requirements.
“We really do everything from like your average table … to 40 foot tall sculptures that are going into public spaces,” she said. “So we really do like run the gambit we do a lot of weird work.”
Among those projects are towering LED-filled trees built for clients outside New Mexico.
“I make a bunch of giant trees for a company that’s out of California,” she said. “They ship their trees all over the planet. And we do like 40 foot tall trees that are fake trees and full of LEDs, but they look real.”
When asked how projects begin, Calli kept it simple: “Anything from a napkin sketch all the way up through a 3D model for sure.”
Tools, Talent and Turnaround
Inside the shop, fabrication spans metalwork, carpentry, 3D printing, sculpting, resin casting and lighting. The space is equipped with a plasma cutter, welders, rollers, benders and large fixture tables.
“A lot of my own nerdism is have the right tool for the right job,” Calli said.
Speed is another defining trait.
“One of the things that I specialize in my shop is fast turnaround,” she said. The shop has taken on projects for the film industry and large-scale events when clients need last-minute builds. “We’ll essentially like make space in our schedule do a fast turnaround.”
Behind that speed is a network of specialists.
“One of my superpowers honestly is the people I know,” she said. “I have a collection of people across the country.”
That network allows her to scale crews for projects that require cranes, heavy equipment or specialty fabrication skills.
A Fabrication Shop — and a Community
Beyond fabrication, Calli describes Stark Raven Fab as a creative gathering space.
“Artists need to support each other,” she said.
The shop hosts informal community nights during the summer. “We’ll do what we call the Wednesday night roll-up,” she explained. “We literally roll up the roll-up doors, pull out the grills, put the fire pit out, play pool, hang out, listen to music. And catch up and support each other.”
Many of the projects moving through the shop are under nondisclosure agreements, but those who spend time there get a glimpse of what’s in progress.
“Everybody who works in my shop is a metal worker, leather workers, sculptor, carpenter that builds art,” she said. “And then we’re able to pay them with the projects that come into our shop to support their own art practice.”
Calli also emphasizes workplace culture.
“I try to be a good boss,” she said. “And part of that is having a happy workforce.”
The shop operates what she calls an “emotion forward or an emotions forward workspace,” allowing employees flexibility when navigating personal challenges.
Growing Through Go Local
Participation in Santa Fe’s Go Local, Go Different initiative has helped introduce the business to a wider audience.
“The Go Local project is incredible for people like me because all of a sudden my local community is finding out that I exist outside of my tiny community sphere,” she said.
For Calli, Stark Raven Fab is about more than fabrication — it’s about collaboration, creativity and building something tangible in Santa Fe.
“We do a lot more than just make things,” she said.
From a garage-built cyberpunk bar to 40-foot illuminated sculptures, Stark Raven Fab has grown into a workshop where ideas — and steel — take shape.
Calli, owner of Stark Raven Fab, discussed her Santa Fe-based large-scale fabrication shop as part of the City’s Go Local, Go Different initiative. Calli said the company produces everything “from gates and fences and doors to display cases and large-scale artwork,” working with local artists, commercial developers and state art programs to complete custom projects. Calli added that her team can build from “anything from a napkin sketch all the way up through a 3D model,” underscoring the shop’s wide-ranging fabrication capabilities.
