Master Sculptor of Stationmaster

The bronze Stationmaster, which watches over the Historic Dayton Depot, was sculpted by Montana-based master sculptor Keith McMasters. The Stationmaster and Companion was dedicated and installed in 2010. McMasters was the featured guest during the March Kiwanis Club meeting, sharing words of inspiration and his journey through the world of fine art.

McMasters was born and raised in Colfax, Wash., and the surrounding Palouse area. His love for art was nurtured from a young age. His grandmother went through reams and reams of drawing paper as she encouraged his drawing and artistic ability.

Upon graduating high school, McMasters dreamed of becoming a Western Art sculptor, capturing cowboys, ranchers, and the wild range. But, like many budding artists, McMasters had to pick up work outside of art. He spent twenty years in the resort industry, where he managed a resort near the Gorge in Washington, before ending up at Bluewood Ski Resort.

"Twelve of those twenty years were spent at Bluewood, in Dayton, and that's where we got to know him," said Nealy. "I'll never forget the one day, I think it was in 2000, that his accountant said that he could quit his day job. His sculpting was becoming popular and profitable enough that he could do it full-time."

McMasters joined the meeting from ISO Art, his gallery in Montana, earning a laugh as he shared that he was calling into his very first Zoom meeting.

McMasters shared that he had been inspired by his long family line of cowboys, as well as the colors, artistry, and culture of the Nez Perce Indians, which he grew up around.

"For me, it's always been about cowboys and Indians, my whole life," he said. "I drew incessantly. We spent summers, and vacations, really anytime we could at my grandparent's ranch, in between Tekoa and Oakesdale up in the Palouse. We loved spending time there as kids, and she really encouraged my artistic abilities."

McMasters went on to share that J. Shirley Bothum, a renowned sculptor and family friend, who was based near Clarkston, WA, at the time, began inviting McMasters to his art studio. Bothum's work has been recognized by many galleries and museums, including the Smithsonian Institute. His subject matter focuses on historical figures including Sacagewea, and western life.

"As a kid, he knew I really loved art and he invited me over to the studio," McMasters said. "I don't really remember him showing me how to do anything, I just remember that he had lots of cool stuff, and I thought 'oh my goodness, someday, if I could do that and have some of this cool stuff, life would be wonderful.' And, I'll be darned, fifty years later, the things I happen to think were so neat, and original works of art, and Indian artifacts, are what I have surrounded myself with for the past decade, maybe even longer."

McMasters said that he loved his time in Dayton, but he always felt this pull to go to Montana. As a kid, his father took him there on a vacation, and McMasters, to this day, vividly remembers his feelings seeing the Welcome to Montana sign as he crossed the state line.

"I have carried that feeling with me my entire life," he said. He shared that while his life in Dayton was great, he and his wife decided that they needed to make a strategic plan to move, as many of his clients were in the state.

In 2012, McMasters and his wife, Mira, moved to Hamilton, Montana, where he is living out his dream.

"At that particular time, as hard as it is to believe, the healthcare industry was looking for quality people from the food processing industry," he explained. His wife was the quality director at Seneca Foods, in Dayton. "This is the part I found hard to believe: It was because the quality procedures and techniques were more advanced than what they had in the healthcare industry."

The first of many steps that brought them closer to Montana, Mira McMasters took a job with Bruce Scrimshaw, in Los Angeles, where she spent three years in a large hospital, earning industry experience. While she was working, McMasters spent much of his time sculpting at home, with a job-searching site opened on his internet browser. One day, job search engine Monster.com showed an opening in Hamilton, Montana, for a Director of Quality and Risk Management. Mira ended up getting the job, ultimately moving the couple to their current home.

A series of events cemented the couple's Montana destiny, including purchasing their dream cabin and falling in love with a Main Street space for a studio on the first day. The studio morphed into a successful art gallery.

"I thought I'd find out who owned it and buy it or lease it. For about two months, the building was dark," said McMasters. "One day, I pulled up and the lights were on. I looked in the window, and I saw all of this original, beautiful, collectible artwork."

After some discussion with the owner, who did not want to sell, he learned that the owner was the son of one of McMaster's idols, Dr. Van Kirke Nelson, of Kalispell. They eventually struck a deal, as things continued to fall into place for the McMasters, and the partnership continued for many years.

McMasters is now working as a sculptor and curator, alongside business partner Doug Nelson at their gallery ISO Art.

Many McMasters' life-sized sculptures are being cast at a foundry in Bozeman, Montana. One of his pieces, Along the Banks, was commissioned by a private buyer for the City of Hamilton. The city will place it at the busiest intersection in the town, nestled in an attractive park-setting.

Much of his work is inspired by the western books he read as a child. As a partner at ISO, he has curated a large collection of Western-inspired paintings and sculptures, often serving as a middleman between collectors and buyers.

The gallery, ISO Art, is located at 221 Main Street in Hamilton, Montana, where he and his partner feature art from Z.S Liang, Will James, Grace Hudson, including sculptures from names like Charles M. Russell, Earle Erik Heika, and of course McMasters.