Waldazo the Bison anchors Fire Pit Park at the center of Big Sky’s town hub. Just steps from cafes, gear shops, and the local grocery, he stands beside a communal fire pit where locals sip coffee in the morning and gather with friends at dusk.

Created by Montana-based artist Kirsten Kainz, Waldazo is crafted from reclaimed iron. Kainz’s work spans welding, sculpting, and painting, and appears in collections across the globe.

Animals and the natural world have always been my steady companions, shaping what I create. In college I experimented with ceramics, glassblowing, bronze casting, but it was metalsmithing that captured my heart. The first time I welded scraps of discarded iron into a railing, I knew I was hooked. Since then, the junkyard has become one of my favorites palette, full of forgotten shapes waiting to be reborn.

For over two decades, I’ve worked with recycled metal, letting each piece guide me toward what it wants to become. Welding, to me, is like stitching stories back together. A rusty chain, a bent gear, or worn-out tool might look like junk, but when placed in harmony with others, they reveal something alive.

That is how Waldazo came to be. His name honors a man whose daughter donated her late father’s collection of odds and ends for me to use, asking only that the sculpture carry his name. Now, tucked within the bison’s form are bits of his treasure, transformed into something enduring, visible to his family for generations.

Every curve is built from deliberate choices. The most striking pieces rise to the surface, catching light, while subtler ones shape the massive bulk beneath. People often recognize tools or machinery hidden in his form, and I love when they share their stories. To me, the bison embodies the wild spirit of this region, a creature tied deeply to the land, history, and resilience of Montana. By repurposing discarded metal, I want to show that beauty can be found in what others throw away, and that transformation is always possible.

If you loved Waldazo the Bison, be sure to check out some of my other playful works around Montana. Visit Ivy the Cow at the Bozeman Public Library or discover my butterfly at the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture. Each piece brings a bit of whimsy and Montana spirit to its community.