ANDERSONVILLE — Cathy and Pete Safiran have made good use of the thousands of license plates they've collected over the years.
The husband-and-wife couple of 48 years, who live in Shipshewana, Ind., create art by cutting letters from the plates and making them into words like "Peace," "Believe," and "Family." They also do kids' names and Chicago sports squads such as "Blackhawks," "Cubs," "Bears" and "Sox." They also make maps of the United States and individual states with license plate cutouts.
They sell the pieces only through GreenSky, an arts store in Andersonville.
"Rural America doesn't always get us, but the city understands us very well," Cathy Safiran said. "Our work seems to be more of an urban/artsy thing."
The Safirans met GreenSky owners Thom and Nadeen Greene about eight years ago at a flea market in Kane County. The Indiana spouses thought GreenSky would be a perfect retailer for their products, which take about three hours to make — with Pete cutting the license plates and Cathy affixing them to wood or other mounting pieces.
Thom Greene said GreenSky, 5357 N. Ashland Ave., sells about 75 of the Safirans' creations a year. The state maps start at $135, while custom orders all are $7.50 per letter/space, Greene said.
"They're unique, funky, repurposed and they express their favorite places and teams," said Thom Greene, who lives a few blocks from GreenSky.
The Safirans had been collecting license plates for years and said their artwork business evolved organically. They have no website or Facebook page and like the agreement they have with GreenSky — and the customers they've attracted.
"We've met so many great people through this," Cathy Safiran said.
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