A rusted bike chain, a culvert twisted beyond recognition, a broken rake or a busted wheelbarrow – to most of us, these items would be junk, but to Cortez artist Tom Walters, it is just the beginning.
Walters will take the broken fan rake, for example, and instead of seeing trash, he sees the tale of a bird. He will then fashion an eagle with a rake for a tale, rebar for feet, nuts and bolts for eyes and other discarded pieces of metal for wings.
He also tends to incorporate movement in his sculptures, by for example, making a bird’s neck out of a giant spring, or balancing hummingbirds on either side of a pole.
One just has to look at his 4-acre piece of property near the Hawkins Preserve, to see that Walters loves what he does. His property is covered in sculptures.
“We call him Harley,” Walters’ wife, Pat Broce, said, pointing to a caterpillar-like sculpture made out of a twisted culvert with a head made out of a motorcycle gas tank.
Both Walters and Broce say they love watching people on the Hawkins Preserve trail enjoying their sculptures outside their home.
“People who walk the trail enjoy his work,” Broce said.
People can also enjoy Walters’ work at the Cortez Cultural Center until Oct. 25 in his exhibit titled Wacky Zoo.
Walters, is a retired hard rock miner. He mined, silver, gold, uranium and other materials for 25 years. When the silver mine closed in Creede, Walters and Broce opened a restaurant.
Walters started sculpting in Creede in 1986. He and Broce ran a restaurant in Creede and Walters wanted to attract tourists, so he started building sculptures. Eventually, his sculptures became so popular, they were able to close the restaurant and open a gift shop, selling his sculptures.
“He built up quit the reputation in Creede,” Broce said.
His metal fisherman were popular, and his fish and birds were popular but every one of his sculptures is unique.
“Sometimes I will see something in a junk pile, and I will get an idea,” Walters said.
For example, “Pot Belly” is a sculpture made out of a wood stove. A giant sunflower is on Walters’ property made from an old TV dish.
But the two aren’t planning on going back in business anytime soon.
“If someone wants something, I will make it, but I am not going to open another gallery,” he said.
Walters said he decided to do the show to support the Cultural Center, which on Friday will celebrate 27 years with a celebration from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Cortez Cultural Center, 25 North Market Street, will have free food and drinks to celebrate 27 years of service.
On display in the Art Gallery until Oct. 25 will be Walters’ Wacky Zoo.
For more information, visit www.LaMesaStudio.com.
slivick@cortezjournal.com