INPERSON
Another Man’s
Treasure
Millcreek metal
artist Evan Everhart
transforms discarded
items into works of art
BY BERNADETTE WILSON
Y
ou can learn a lot about Millcreek metal artist Evan Everhart
by where he displays his work—in a garden.
Through an archway decorated with metal flowers are
stunning metal sculptures, including trees and benches. At every
turn of the winding path are more surprises, such as a mermaid
fountain and a pine cone-covered Christmas tree that spins in the
wind. For Everhart, the garden is the perfect gallery for his work
inspired by nature.
His art can become a part of its environment—even providing a
perch for birds, which Everhart considers “a sign of approval.”
And there’s no problem exposing his work to the elements.
His artistic media includes scrap and discarded metal, which is
weatherproof—it’s upcycling at its finest.
Everhart captured the attention of the local arts community
when he participated in Erie’s public art project GoFish! in 2001,
creating “Andiamo Pescare,” and his work has become a familiar
part of the local landscape including some of the area’s finer
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gardens. Some of his more familiar work resides in the courtyard
of the Plymouth Tavern, at the Erie Zoo, the bar at 6 Mile
Cellars in Harborcreek and, most recently, the 60-foot screen
that defines part of the perimeter of the Sisters of St. Joseph
project off 18th Street in Erie.
THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN
After a walk through his garden, it’s hard to believe Everhart
was anything other than an artist. But, after school, he worked
as a janitor at Erie Steel Products for 10 years. It didn’t take him
long to notice that processes there created large amounts of
scrap metal. Some of Erie Steel’s employees would occasionally
use the scrap metal to create functional items like a truck hitch
or a plant stand. Everhart, too, tried his hand at welding and
applied his creativity to create items from the metal that began
to turn heads. He says he’s fortunate to have worked at Erie Steel,
learning more than the basic skills needed for metal sculpture.