METAL Arts Exhibit

Enjoy the upcoming gallery exhibit METAL at the Sherwood Center for the Arts. This show features unique, beautiful metal works in various forms created by three local artists: Shelly Durica-Laiche, Milo Lowe and Dean Meisner. This show can be viewed in-person Monday-Friday between 9am-1pm, starting Tuesday, June 1 through August 2, 2021. No appointment necessary. Check back here to learn more about the gallery opening reception and the latest updates and COVID protocols . 

New Gallery Hours: Monday- Friday between 9am - 1pm.  **No appointment necessary**

* Masks required at all times throughout facility
 

Gallery Opening Reception:
Tuesday, June 8 from 6:00-8:00 pm
 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS: 

Shelly Durica-Laiche

Indio Metal Arts

Shelly is a welder who designs and builds both decorative and functional steel objects. She pursued a double-major in Sculpture and Graphic Design at Portland State University. Shelly fell in love with steel when she took her first welding class there in 2003. From college she went on to work with her hands at the Oregon Zoo where she built animal habitats, and then to Laika where she built tiny landscape bits for the stop motion film ParaNorman.

With Indio Metal Arts, created in 2012, she designs and builds steel free-standing sculpture, fine art, furniture, architectural elements and trellises. Now she works full time in the studio, preparing for art festivals, gallery shows and commissions.  Shelly’s work has been seen at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Salem Art Festival, the Association of Landscape Designers Tour, Portland Open Studios, Gathering of the Guilds, Local 14, and Cracked Pots. 

Shelly uses as much salvaged material as possible in her work. She collects it from steel yards around the state, from the side of the road, through her travels or by donation. Scrap metal has an embedded history and character that folds into each design. She is inspired by the unique shapes of all her found treasures; sometimes she knows instantly what she wants to build with them, while sometimes it takes years of contemplation. She is driven by the design challenge of transforming known objects into ones with a new voice. She delights in how the assemblages become one-of-a-kind sculptures. Shelly seeks for the viewer to be surprised by how a material is used in an unconventional way, far removed from its past life.

Website: https://indiometalarts.com/about/
Facebook: Indio Metal Arts
Instagram: @indio.metal.arts

Milo Lowe

A Built Environment Specialist
3D Artist/Architectural Designer/Metal Artist

Milo has been a metal artist and metalsmith since the 1990s. He has been fortunate to have metal fabrication shops as his art studios where he has created and invented. His invented medium is a “secret  sauce” he burns on stainless steel, at over 1000°, to create painterly  images. Milo calls it Volcanic Stainless Steel. The finished art is nearly indestructible and deliciously beautiful. The art-metal is smooth as glass yet looks highly textured.

Milo has 25 years of gallery shows and private commissions. His artwork was featured on Oregon ArtBeat with OPB and also their alumni show recently in Portland. He has been regularly commissioned to paint for the Grammy Music Awards and their “Person of the Year” event. His most recent commission with them was for Fleetwood Mac, and a tribute to Prince.

His current painting series is about the transcontinental railroad and all those involved in the building of the railroad. His paintings are inspired by the stories of his great-great-grandfather’s involvement and he is also collaborating with descendants of Chinese railroad workers who did not get recognized for their work. Milo has several partners helping with this,  including several history professors at Stanford University. This series directly relates events 150 years ago to current issues with new technology, racism, oppressive systems and land use. He sees it as a grounding of sorts and a reset of basic ethics and morals by viewing our history held up to see graphically.

Future projects include a documentary film being made about his metal art and his memoirs.

Website: https://milosmetal.com/
Facebook: Milo's Art Metal
Instagram: @milosartmetal

Dean Meisner

Small Wonders Miniatures In Metals

Growing up in the country in the early 60s, Dean's parents bought him some modeling clay to keep him busy. He believes the hours spent playing with the clay laid the foundation for what he does now. The micro-welding technology he uses was picked up working in high tech in the early 80s, and he began experimenting, creating some basic designs. Twenty-seven years in law enforcement forced a LONG delay in developing this further, but with retirement in 2012, Dean picked it back up. His work has been carried at galleries in Portland and at PDX airport. Dean also continues to have success creating custom designs.

Dean can be contacted at denodurango@msn.com