It’s not often that visitors are encouraged to take a seat on a work of art displayed at the Kenai Art Center. But that’s exactly what is prompted by “Steel Sentiments,” a solo show by metal artist David Morris that fills the center’s rear gallery.

Directly across from the entrance and accompanied with a small sign that calls for viewers to sit down is a bench crafted from the tailgate of a Chevrolet truck. That’s displayed alongside dozens of works crafted from metal. A rose, the AT-ST from “Star Wars,” and a large metal octopus wrapped around an anchor are only a few of the pieces on display.

In an artist’s statement by Morris, he writes that he wants people to look closely and also to touch the pieces. Metal can’t be hurt. Metal exists in three dimensions and invites people to do more than just see it.

The art on display, Morris writes, was created with a welding torch, plasma cutter, grinders and other tools. He uses reclaimed scrap and engine parts alongside raw metal cut and shaped from scratch.

“When you look and touch and feel something, it invokes a deeper experience,” he writes. “They really can feel the childlike joy I feel when I’m making the piece.”

Morris was taught to work with metal by his father, a North Slope welder. In a cabin in Palmer, Morris writes, he spent time in the shop with his dad, learning to work and also getting in the way. Working on metal, he writes, still makes him feel connected to the man.

“Some visit headstones, some read journals, some view photo albums,” Morris writes. “I cut, I grind, I weld, I remember.”

“Steel Sentiments” can be seen at the Kenai Art Center until July 3, during gallery hours, noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

For more information, find “Kenai Art Center” on Facebook or visit kenaiartcenter.org.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

Metal art by David Morris is showcased in “Steel Sentiments” at the Kenai Art Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Metal art by David Morris is showcased in “Steel Sentiments” at the Kenai Art Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Metal art by David Morris is showcased in “Steel Sentiments” at the Kenai Art Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)