Employee owner name: Nate Harris

Department/Job at Work: Metal Room (formerly on our truck team)

Number of years working at Bark: almost two years

Hails from: New York City

What did you do for work before you worked at Bark Frameworks?

I worked in packaging and shipping at a business in the West Village. I did many different things there, from computer IT-related tasks, to acting as a personal assistant to some clients. Sometimes I was doing design-related work for clients, and other times it was really odd jobs.

What is the biggest challenge in your area of work at Bark?

I was recently promoted from working on our truck team to working in our metal shop. I’m still learning there, but one thing I see as a challenge there is making an initial assessment of that you’re going to do for each project. Different approaches to a job require different tools and methods, and may take different amounts of time and labor. For example, I assess my initial length of metal – if it has any deep scratches on it, I’ll have to use different equipment (an angle sander) than if it only has a few scratches or blemishes (which is when I’d use a hand sander). In general, hand sanding is a bit easier. Using an angle sander — which is more challenging — can create divots in the metal, which are more difficult to smooth out once you’ve made them. So you have to be careful and aware of what you’re doing.

Nate sanding in metal shop.

What do you like best about working at Bark?

Bark Frameworks has a very friendly work environment. Everyone here gets along well. If there is an issue, people are open to speaking about it.

What was a particularly memorable framing job you worked on?

When I was working on our truck team, I helped install a painting by KAWS for a client. I really liked his artwork!

How has your life in- and outside of work changed as a result of the COVID pandemic?

I’ve picked up a new hobby: model making. I build these Japanese robots called Gundams. It’s very time consuming and involved, but I like it because it’s meditative. A friend of mine got me into “Mobile Suit Gundam,” a Japanese anime, and so I build the models based on robots with different elaborate designs. They’re about 10” tall or so. It’s a very therapeutic hobby.

What does being an employee owner mean to you?

I feel more involved in what’s happening at the company. We get to vote on things and have more of a say.

Any outside hobbies/interests you have when you’re not making frames?

I like to do graphic design (focusing mostly on print design, such as poster work); and work on video games (focusing on character design, world building, and stories).

Are you an artist?

Yes, I do digital illustration and vector art.

Thank you, Nate!

Interview Text and Photos: Jennifer M. Clark

Originally published: April 2021.