Until March 24, the Rossland Art Gallery is hosting the Metal Art Show and More.
The exhibit highlights many of the projects that metalwork artist and teacher Kevin Kratz has put his effort into.
Kratz, who operated Ridgeline Metal Works, has honed his skills for the past 30 years, and shares the exhibit with metalworking partner James Karthein. Other artistic friends, Yvvone Vanens Munro, Eric MacLellan and Simon Mitchel, join them in the exhibition.
Kratz emplained that the move to show the works in Rossland was a natural one.
“My friend James and I have a line of products that we sell in the B.C. Interior and so we thought if we had a show here in Rossland, we could show more of our stuff,” Kratz said.
Kratz said this show is a sort of culmination in the teaching position and his 30 years of experience.
Ridgeline Metal Works was awarded the Castlegar Sculpture Walk last year, with a Blue Heron sculpture. That drove them to want to expand and want to show something in Rossland.
“I’d started a study for the Blue Heron for the big show, and I did one for this show and that was kind of the driving force, to have another heron here in town and trees and stuff,” he said. “We’re just trying to show our work.”
Kratz is also an instructor and has had the opportunity to teach the some of his fellow artists.
Kratz and Karthein both work out of Krestova.
“Most weekends we can be found out in our sheds, hammering away at our steel,” he said. “It has to be 2,000 degrees before you can hit it. It’s all old fashioned hand cranked hammers and anvils and stuff. We’re trying to revive an ancient tradition and make something beautiful on the way.”
They also make tools for the home, such as fireplace sets.
This came with the realisation that not everyone wants to shell out for the more elaborate pieces.
So they started making the tools as more of a production line of items, to supplement the artistic side of things.
The exhibit includes full size Rocky Mountain Maple saplings, a heron and many other works of art.
It runs until March 24, from Wednesday to Sunday. 11-6 p.m. each day.