July 2, 2022
Mountain Forge was founded in 1968 by Johann Josef “Opa Hans” Standteiner who then taught his own sons and countless friends and international journeymen over the years the craft and art of metalworking. Though the day-to-day running of this busy Forge was taken over about 20 years ago by his son Toni and Toni’s wife and partner Jennifer, Opa Hans’ legacy continues to this day through more friends and journeymen as well as Toni and Jennifer’s children Seppi, Florian and Olivia who help to make this a multi-generational family business. Now at 54 years, Mountain Forge is the oldest continually working family-owned and operated artist blacksmith forge in the region.
In addition to their thriving creative business, the Standteiner Family has always been embedded in the community in a multitude of ways. Toni put his former younger years on the US Ski Team and World Cup Ski Racing Circuit back to work as he has coached alpine ski racing at Sugar Bowl and Palisades Tahoe for the past 20+ years. Jennifer has been an active member of many community organizations and executive boards such as KidZone Museum, Truckee High Boosters, Public Art Commission of Truckee, and Truckee Arts Alliance. Mountain Forge has headlined the Truckee Roundhouse Maker’s Show for each of their 6 years and donated tools and equipment to the Roundhouse maker space when it opened.
Both remain active board members and volunteers for a variety of local nonprofits, but they have also created beautiful and meaningful full-scale public art installations and sculptures as community benefits. Additionally, their philanthropic business mission and active community involvement further creative development and offer support opportunities for many, many individual artists. They are true team players, and aim to build up this great area of ours and its economy of makers through partnerships and collaborations that can only come from a family with roots in this place since Opa Hans’ first foray here as the Chilean Head Alpine Ski Team Coach at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics.
The Truckee Arts Alliance is honored to feature Mountain Forge this week at our Cultural District Booth at Truckee Thursday. Please stop by to learn more about Truckee’s Cultural District, Mountain Forge’s place within it, and how you can connect with our creative community.
