For Mountain residents the discovery of Stev Ominski’s art could be contributed to his Siamese cats, Lewis and Clark. Except the true discovery of Ominski’s work has gone far beyond.

The Rhododendron resident’s recent work titled “Age’s End” depicts
the classic view up the Columbia River Gorge during a Missoula Ice Age flood
which occurred some 20,000 years ago. This work – 24 inches high, 48 inches
wide, rendered by acrylic on canvas – attracted the attention of the Oregon
Historical Society (OHS).

“The collections manager (from OHS), Nicole Yasuhara, contacted me out of
the blue and asked if they might use “Age’s End” to represent the Ice Age
floods in Oregon for their new permanent exhibit Experience Oregon (which
is) now open,” Ominski told The Mountain Times. “Of course, I was both
pleased and honored to have been selected by OHS. They purchased a digital
file and some limited use rights.”

The recent discovery element didn’t end there. Shortly after that recognition
Ominski was contacted by a graphic designer (Steve Johnston) who was
working with a group at the State Capitol installing an exhibit on the roof of
the dome and they thought Ominski’s depiction of the Ice Age floodwaters
slamming into Beacon Rock would fit in nicely with the exhibit.

“The Inundation of Beacon Rock” in the Columbia River Gorge is now a part of
the east-facing interpretive panel on the capitol’s dome roof.

“I’ve been working on this suite of Ice Age floods imagery for over 25 years
with the help and input from my friends and colleagues in the geologic
community,” he said.

The result has been that these works have been exhibited in selected natural
history museums and venues as well as used in lectures by educators and
newspapers and magazines and field guides, before the recent local
discoveries.

“It’s been an ongoing career commitment,” Ominski added.

Also appearing on Page 1 – “The Rowena Incident” – features Ominski
feigning a pending mammoth trampling. The mammoth size is in stride with
the subject matter, as the piece is 9.5 feet by 10 feet and is part of a
permanent collection at The Discovery Center in The Dalles. The “Incident” is
an acrylic on canvas with the selfie photo shot on a tripod with timer.

“I’m 12 years older now,” Ominski said of the enormous canvas. “But I look
much the same ... with a bit longer, grayer hair in my beard – the shaggy
badger look.”

Ominski, 67, is primarily self-taught, and began his professional career in the
fine arts in 1970 working initially on landscapes and subjects from the natural
world.

His studio is open to free tours in Timberline Rim. Make your own discovery of
Ominski’s art by contacting him at stev@stevominski.com.