Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
The archway took over six months to complete, with the design layout created at his Lost Hills home and most of the welding done on-site.
"It took careful precision, numerous trial-and-error attempts, and choosing the right colors to get the gate just right, but I had a great team with Art [Sherwyn]," Rene Gutierrez said.
Rene Gutierrez on a forklift working on the archway with a grinder, cleaning the weld.
Rene Gutierrez is a rig welder who works in the oil fields and makes custom gates. Last year, he lent his welding talents to the Wasco Downtown Beautification Project. "After this job, I transformed myself into an artist. I never saw myself as one until Art Sherwyn gave me the assignment. He showed me the design picture, and I brought it to life."
He built a 19-foot steel archway inspired by camera lenses and squares symbolizing camera bodies. The varying sizes and shapes of the rings and squares create a whimsical aesthetic, serving as an entrance to an alley adorned with 15 works of art.
Gutierrez also constructed a large steel gate, laser-cut with a design showcasing the Wasco landscape, including the iconic Water Tower. Painted red to complement the alley, the gate features blue and green tones in the backdrop, adding depth and vibrancy.
A Wasco native, his path to this point was far from easy. After spending nearly a decade working in the oil fields, he faced a series of hardships, including the loss of his father, a difficult divorce and ultimately losing his job in 2014. To make ends meet, a friend introduced him to crafting custom gates around Kern County and Bakersfield. Despite finding success in this new venture, he struggled, turning to alcohol and drugs, which led to serious trouble and the possibility of facing years in prison.
"I don't know how I survived all those years living that life. I should be locked up. On November 21, 2019, I went to court for my criminal case, and the judge reduced my sentence from 10 years in prison to no jail time. That day, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I should have stopped drinking and using drugs then, but I didn't. It wasn't until December 23, 2019, after a car accident, that I finally stopped drinking and using drugs for good."
Gutierrez believes that God has been looking out for him. "It's been five years. Sometimes, I'm not even looking for work, but jobs seem to come out of nowhere. So, when Art called and told me that Councilmember Eddie Saldaña had given him my number and that I was a potential welder for a project, I was intrigued."
He said the construction of the archway was a challenge. "I have never done anything like this without a blueprint or measurements, but just work off a drawing." Sherwyn, the lead contractor for the artists on the downtown beautification project and the person who created the design, said, "What was special was he took his skill, which was normally used for creating function, and connected it to art and because of that it opened up a whole new avenue and pathway for him down the road."
Sherwyn added, "This was an opportunity to create a legacy piece. Steel lasts forever. As far as I know, it's part of the karma that came to him for taking on the challenge to improve his life. That was always something on my mind, and we talked about it."
Gutierrez said the result was amazing, and hearing Art say he exceeded his expectations was rewarding. "It's been a crazy journey because I've always shared my story about how, when making custom gates, I believed that someday my work would be featured in a magazine. I felt that my art would eventually get that recognition. This is just the beginning; it's here in Wasco now and part of history, at least how I see it."
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