Steve Kost was just 17 when he traded the comforts of home for the discipline of military life. While his classmates were still sitting in high school desks, Kost was on his way to Navy boot camp, stepping into a world that would shape the rest of his life.
“I signed up to be a hull technician, which meant welding and firefighting on a ship,” Kost said. “After performing well in training, I earned a spot in the Navy Seabees, a land-based construction battalion.”
From 1991 to 1995, Kost served in the Navy, a journey that took him around the world three times before his 21st birthday. He stood on the beaches of Saipan, where American forces fought during World War II, ran with the bulls in Spain, and celebrated Greek Easter by candlelight on the island of Crete. His service not only connected him to history but also to family, particularly his father, who was a ship fitter in the 1960s, a predecessor to his own role as a hull tech.
After the Navy, Kost transitioned into civilian life as an ironworker, using the construction skills he learned in the Seabees to build a career high above the Chicago skyline. For 28 years, he worked with cranes and welding tools, a job that required precision, strength, and fearlessness.
But Kost’s story took an unexpected turn in 2015, when sleepless nights and lingering nightmares led him to his first sculpture.
“I started taking apart an old typewriter one night when I couldn’t sleep,” he recalled. “The gears and pieces fascinated me. That’s when I realized I could create something new from discarded materials.”
What began as a coping mechanism for post-traumatic stress disorder turned into a passion.
Kost started crafting intricate sculptures from reclaimed metal including old tools, kitchen gadgets, and mechanical parts, forming lifelike animals, robots, and abstract pieces. His first public exhibition came in 2018 at a veterans’ art show, and since then, his work has been displayed at the Illinois State Museum, the Library of Congress, and even featured on the Google homepage for Veterans Day in 2024.
Kost proudly has his work showcased at McCord Gallery & Cultural Center, 9602 W. Creek Road, Palos Park, which is hosting The Veterans Experience Through Art exhibition through March 29.
Kost unveiled his work at the gallery on Saturday, March 8, sharing his creations with the local community.
Among the featured pieces is Prince Nemo, a 40-inch seahorse crafted from old drill bits and typewriter parts, along with a bumblebee made from the very first typewriter he ever dismantled. Another standout is Achilles Heel, a mechanical foot sculpture that has already traveled to the Library of Congress.
“I’m very proud to have my work exhibited in such a distinguished space,” Kost said. “It took a lot of courage to share my art, but the response has been overwhelming. I’ve received so many messages from fellow veterans who’ve found healing through creativity, and that means everything to me.”
With the support of his wife, Colleen, and their daughter, Natalee, who helped him launch his Instagram account, Kost has turned what he calls his “Metal Health Artwork” into more than just a personal outlet.
Through each piece, Kost continues to tell a story of the power of art to heal the unseen wounds of service.
“It’s become a bridge connecting veterans, artists, and those looking for new ways to express their own experiences,” he said.
