Steve Kowats creates art and community at Carson Art Garage

Kowats swears by the pensive energy of the region, gathering inspiration from the people and nature around him.

“People here [in the Gorge] seem to be deeper. They’re considerate and introspective, and even people who aren’t the best at art or some hobby, they still try to consider their experience on a deeper level,” he explained. “All my friends in the Gorge inspire me.”

In addition to the community, the sights and sounds of the Gorge encourage Kowats to be artistic. Most of his pieces are reflective of nature in some way, whether flora or fauna. “I’m inspired by nature in its random, or not so random, beauty and design,” Kowats said.

He likes when people inspect and touch his metalwork, explaining, “I like making metal look like something else.” His art showcases metal feathers, branches, antlers, and more that are so detailed they no longer look like they could be metal.

With a lifelong affinity for drawing and watercolor, Kowats is sure he has always been an artist, just as he believes everyone has an artist inside themselves.

“I maintain that we are all artists having a tug-of-war with our pieces and concepts. Even those who don’t feel like an artist — you’re probably just holding back your own creative side and emotional expression,” he said.

Kowats dropped out of high school to become a welder at the age of 18 and pursued a career in sheet metal, shipyard welding, and other construction roles where he excelled. He eventually worked as a teacher and trainer for newcomers in the welding community on an international level while chiseling away at his creative side.

In time, his skills in crafting metal shifted to an artform, starting with 2D shapes and flatwork before expanding into detailed and lifelike 3D statues. Unlike some metal artists, Kowats knew the science of the medium first and later chose to apply it to art.

“My knowledge and experience as a metal craftsman came first and I’ve used that to inform my art,” he said. His expertise in all kinds of metals and a variety of techniques like hammering, soldering, brazing, welding, and cooling gave him the natural ability to improvise on each piece.

Kowats has a can-do attitude towards life that he attributes largely to his early success as a welder, a profession that let him problem solve on the job. Even his artwork is created in a similar fashion by either finding or creating the shape he needs to complete a project.

“I find shapes and concepts and things to repurpose,” he said. “Sometimes I see an object and immediately know what I can turn it into. Sometimes I have a vision and have to go hunting for the right object to get the job done.”

Repurposing is a large part of Kowats’ craft, from pieces of pipe to old fire extinguishers; he sees potential in something and improvises until he finds the right solution so the art can come to life.

When working on his art, Kowats starts with the kernel of an idea before jumping in and letting his more practical side apply logic to the creation. His new gallery space has led to even more community and discussion with other artists, which is a reassuring interaction that allows him to reflect on his own creative process.

“It’s nice to hear from formally trained artists, which I am not,” he said. “They talk about their processes and motivations, their conceptions and struggles with mediums. It’s affirming to hear that they are dealing with a similar process as I am.”

If it weren’t for other creatives in the Gorge, the Carson Art Garage might not have been as big of a passion project for Kowats. “This whole thing, the Art Garage, it’s all community-based,” he said. The space is a comfortable gallery that brings together trained and untrained artists alike, and Kowats is not in it for the money.

“I pick art that I like for the gallery, but I also just like getting other artists in here … I’m really selling for the artists’ sake and to bring more art through the community,” he said. “A good flow of art is important for inspiration. Art is really its own realm with its own set of values and life.”

Before moving to the Gorge, Kowats was a frequent visitor for recreational reasons, such as motorcycling and mountain biking. He spent countless hours in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Cascade Mountains. After his father passed away, Kowats settled his estate in the Gorge and found himself left with old tools and equipment from his father’s hotrod hobby. He began experimenting in metalwork with the tools and materials while looking for a larger space to expand his projects. That’s when he found and purchased the Carson Art Garage, which used to be a Dodge Dealership in the 1930s.

After renovating the neighboring office space as a rental and transforming the garage into a gallery and personal studio, Kowats also bought the building next door. The two-story building used to be a Mason’s lodge but is now being renovated with the help of his son. They plan to turn the building into an upstairs apartment with a downstairs tattoo shop.

Kowats participated in the 2023 Gorge Artists Open Studio Tours for his second consecutive year this April. He said that he had hundreds of visitors in the first year and sold work off his gallery floor. This year, he had one finished piece to showcase: A mask that was on exhibit at The Dalles Art Center. Due to the hazardous nature of metalworking, Kowats did not offer any demonstrations during the tours, but he did have half-completed pieces laid out for observation. These pieces included a copper rose, a raven totem, and another raven statue dedicated to his late friend Bill Ernst. Pieces such as his raven totem take more than 300 hours to complete.

The Carson Art Garage is a welcoming, eclectic space with art that can appeal to everyone. The gallery has paintings and carvings of all kinds, such as acrylic on wood, clay and porcelain mugs, jewelry, bird statues, and much more.

As for supporting local artists and creating your own art, Kowtas’ advice is to just do it.

“Art is observational, visual, and tactile. Don’t hold back, let your feelings in, and create even if the medium you end up with isn’t the one you thought you would,” Kowats said. “Visit, observe, and touch art; appreciate it and share your experience with others.”