The Story

Matt Bauer started swinging a hammer at the age of 16, building new construction homes in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. He eventually moved to Chicago where he continued to work in the hardware and construction industries. 

In 2009, Matt took a position as a fabricator for an exhibit company and  instantly fell in love with the creative nature of building for show! As  his skills grew, so did the opportunities. Matt started taking gigs at some of the best scenic carpentry companies in Chicago, helping to build  shows and exhibits that traveled the US and internationally. 

In 2020, Matt moved to San Diego, California and opened Vagabond Scenic Carpentry Co. Work here included scenic builds for Sea-World, Lego-Land, Webcast productions and corporate events. 

Unfortunately, Covid lock downs brought entertainment work to a standstill. In an effort to survive, Vagabond's shifted focus to working in the community providing custom carpentry and handyman services to their North County neighbors.

As the entertainment industry opens up, Vagabond Scenic is excited to once again provide hero sets in Southern California while continuing to serve the residential construction needs of the  neighbors that kept them going during the difficult times of this last  year.