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By Sarah Ericson
The landscape of Central Oregon is art in motion. Its high desert mountains, plains, and waterways burst with rugged beauty and fresh air. The people who live and visit our area need not wander far to find inspiration where an array of colors, textures, scents, and sounds delight the senses. Bend is lucky to have a tight knit group of artisans and purveyors who are committed to elevating the West’s wild aesthetic, both naturally occurring and human made creations. This season’s art features bring you the story of two such players in Bend’s arts scene. Downtown Ornamental Iron is a well known second generation family of metal fabricators whose installations fuse form and function to the delight of their clients. The sister/ brother duo, Skye Kimel and Josh Peterson, are committed to integrating natural beauty and intricate detail into every project, regardless of scale.
“When we were little, my dad was busy with small welding jobs like building wood stoves and repairing trailers. When he moved downtown, he started getting referrals from a retiring welder and his business expanded to include the kind of projects we do today.”
–Skye Kimel, President, Downtown Ornamental Iron, Inc.
In the early 1980s, a welder named Ron Richardson was working out of his garage in a small community that had recently fallen on hard times. Central Oregon was experiencing social and economic turmoil, and people did what they had to do to survive. Forty years later, there are two things that Ron never would’ve imagined–the population of Bend exploded from 20,000 to over 100,000, and his daughter and son are now the proud owners of his once tiny and now prestigious business, Downtown Ornamental Iron.
EARLY DAYS of DOWNTOWN ORNAMENTAL IRON
Shortly after he started, Ron’s welding business out grew the garage and he moved to a commercial space in Bend’s Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. Rent was $50 a month and the new location inspired the name: Downtown Ornamental Iron. “When we were little, my dad was busy with small welding jobs like building wood stoves and repairing trailers,” remembers Skye Kimel, Ron’s daughter and President of DOI . “When he moved downtown, he started getting referrals from a retiring welder and his business expanded to include the kind of projects we do today.” Though the science of metal fabrication hasn’t changed much over the years, the techniques and trends certainly have. Skye and her brother, Josh Richardson, VP of DOI , have had front row seats the whole time.
Both Skye and Josh admit that it wasn’t their intention to get into the family business. Skye earned a degree in environmental science and Josh rose through the ranks of the fine dining scene in Portland. In their youth they helped out around the shop, but they never envisioned the work in their future. “For me it was just a summer job,” remembers Josh. And Skye had her sights set elsewhere but the work drew her back unexpectedly. “After college I had an internship lined up in Kenya and I figured I’d just work for my dad until that started. Something really stuck, because as soon as I got home, I returned to the shop and never left,” she says.
For almost two decades, Skye and Josh have worked closely and intentionally under their dad’s leadership. As their skills grew, their ties to the community of artists, designers, and builders were forged, and Downtown Ornamental Iron ’s second generation of excellence emerged. Ron officially retired in 2017, and Skye and Josh have continued to develop their expertise and build the relationships necessary to succeed. Their participation in local and international organizations keeps them in touch with emerging trends and maintains a connection to the professional networks the industry relies on for the highest standards of quality. Membership in Central Oregon Metal Art Guild (COMAG), National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA), and Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America (ABANA) reinforces their commitment to quality techniques and keeps them at the cutting edge of metals evolution.
“We’re surrounded by like-minded people, people who love the outdoors and live an active lifestyle. Those values overlap with art and building so our work reflects that overlap.”
–Josh Richardson, Vice President, Downtown Ornamental Iron, Inc.
BEND THROUGH the DECADES
In the four decades that the family business has grown and changed hands, Bend has also experienced a significant growth spurt. New arrivals have brought fresh ideas and a taste for sophistication that has enriched the community. Not only has this increased the demand for art for art’s sake, but it has also led to an explosion in the building industry. Coincidentally, DOI excels in both arenas.
“Our work covers a vast array of size and scope, and it’s all equally challenging and rewarding.”
–Skye Kimel, President, Downtown Ornamental Iron, Inc.
“Our work covers a vast array of size and scope, and it’s all equally challenging and rewarding,” says Skye. “They range from the tiniest gate latch that our client tasked us with creating ‘something beautiful that the kids won’t bang their heads on’ to a recent luxury home where we contributed every metal component including steel trusses, a custom chimney cap, a sliding privacy screen, fireplace doors, railings, and a solar tube. Every project presents us with opportunities for problem solving and balancing form and function.” Over the years, the community’s demand for volume and variety has increased and Downtown Ornamental Iron continues to meet those needs.
The city and county governments have responded to Bend’s growth by adjusting the building codes and ordinances. As a result, buildings have grown in size and scale and builders and fabricators have responded to meet those structural changes. “Our largest residential project was a 6,500-square-foot house in Tetherow. We completed four full staircases with railings, an entry steel bridge walkway, structural beams and columns, a hidden record player support shelf, fireplace surrounds, steel trim, window screens, a pivot door, patio rails, a bike wash station, and numerous other metal components,” says Skye. “And we now offer CAD design software so the clients can see renderings in the design stages rather than waiting for the final product reveal. It has improved our efficiency, smoothed out the logistics, and elevated the overall client experience,” adds Josh.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS
As Bend has grown, the arts community has grown too and Downtown Ornamental Iron participates at every opportunity. “We’re surrounded by like-minded people, people who love the outdoors and live an active lifestyle. Those values overlap with art and building so our work reflects that overlap,” says Josh. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than at the High Desert Museum, an immersive experience of history, science, art, and conservation. The Richardson family has been involved with the museum since it opened its doors in 1982. In fact, one of the museum’s former curators, Robert Boyd, was Skye and Josh’s junior high school shop teacher. Ron contributed to several installations in the institution’s early days, and Skye and Josh have provided fabrication for renovation efforts over the years. “One project was a restoration on the otter enclosures and ramps. It’s not something that the public will ever see but it’s essential work and it was really fun,” says Josh.
In addition to behind-the-scenes infrastructure and private homeowner installations, DOI contributes to plenty of public community projects too. From functional guardrails along the Deschutes River Trail to Skye’s personal exhibits at the 20-Dollar Art Show, ties to the community are widespread. “Our community is full of inspiring, talented, and generous people. It’s rewarding to live and work in a place that has such a supportive arts scene,” says Skye.
With their strong connections to artists, conservationists, builders, and designers, DOI has secured an enduring role in the community of Bend. Their diverse portfolio proves that everything is possible, from whimsical garden sculptures to robust interior and exterior railings. Whatever projects the people of Bend have in mind, Downtown Ornamental Iron has a proven generational commitment to cultural and structural integrity that lasts.
The gallery also represents Nate Law’s bold, Western pop art, Montana-based James Corwin’s wildlife works, and modern-impressionist Kira Fercho’s pieces showcasing the culture of the west.
Gold Mountain’s collection of artisan furniture makers includes Matt Downer of Matt Downer Designs, a remarkable woodworker and artisan who captures the accessibility of hard materials and sources the delicate personalities of hardwoods, steel, and stone to create one-of-a-kind sculptures, tables, chandeliers, and lighting.
“Matt is family to Gold Mountain Gallery — we’ve been proudly showcasing his woodwork for over a decade,” Ruffner says. It’s impossible not to try the levers on Downer’s lamps or marvel at his industrial mysticism that fashioned the chandelier hanging at the front of the gallery. Nothing short of mechanical art, the functional décor makes for cogent lighting solutions while simultaneously carrying an air of discovery.
Downer received a Best in Show Mixed Media award for his Bastogne walnut desk at the Western Design Conference. His signature Paige lamp, featuring a stone counterbalance, is another standout piece in the gallery.
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