For decades, Gibbs Connors and Christian Cantiello have been hand-painting the iconic signs that define Philadelphia’s restaurant scene, from the Borromini sign to the La Colombe lettering and beyond, writes Adam Clair for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
After graduating from the Pratt Institute, Connors moved to Philadelphia in 1989 and quickly secured a steady job at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where his work ranged from hand-lettering trash cans to screen-printing Picasso on the gallery walls.
Since then, he has left his mark across the city through Standard Sign Co., hand-painting signage for hundreds of restaurants, bars, hotels, and other businesses. His services remain in demand because hand-painted signage is often seen as a reflection of a business’s values.
“We can tell you where these tomatoes came from, we can tell you where those pork chops came from, and we can tell you who painted the sign,” said Connors.
Seeing growing demand, Connors met several young artists in the area in 2014, and Cantiello’s developing style quickly caught his attention. Cantiello studied graphic design at Hussian College and began making signs around 2010 while also working as a bartender.
The two have since collaborated frequently, with Cantiello founding Keystone Sign & Co. to partner with Connors’s business on signage projects.
Read more about the creative duo behind some of Philadelphia’s most iconic restaurant signs in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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