Leveling up SkillsUSA Michigan Welding Sculptures

Sophia Stoll of Lansing Community College made this sculpture of a whale shark.

About this time last year, I documented my experience as a judge for Michigan's inaugural SkillsUSA Welding Sculpture competition. While metal sculpture has been a part of the national stage for some time, the state committee introduced the category in Michigan in 2023. The first year attracted a few competitors, but everyone wanted to see it bigger and badder in 2024!

And wow, we succeeded! The number of completed sculptures went from two last year to eight this year, all while maintaining a high standard of craftsmanship. The students were determined to play the game at another level.

Student Projects

We ran into a few teachers, advisors, and their students on that Friday night as we arrived at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids—a towering throwback luxury hotel on the Grand River. I finally had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Cartwright, the welding instructor at Randolph Career and Technical Center in Detroit. Kevin also is an artist, and after talking with three of his student competitors and seeing their work, it was cool to see how he inspired the trio. Listening to them talk about each other and how they motivated themselves to reach this point was even better!

Preston Hobbs (11th grade) had never made a sculpture and figured he’d sit out the competition, but Gabe Janke (12th grade) and James Robinson (11th grade) pushed and encouraged him to dig in and give it a shot. Despite Preston’s getting a late start and insisting that he isn’t an artist, his “Flower Boy” sculpture was full of emotion and soulful depth; it felt like that pure expression when a creator becomes blessed with an idea to paint, sing, or sculpt.

Gabe, the lone repeat contestant, formed steel into a sleek F-18 fighter jet taking to the sky with old fluxless stick rods flowing up to support it. The illusion of flight and movement with an aircraft is always tricky, and his piece was unique in how he approached the challenge.

James’ entry was challenging as well. Inspired by a medieval video game warrior’s helmet, he crafted a frame, then hammered, cut, and dragged it down the street to give it a battle-worn aesthetic. Even the screens behind the vision slots served a purpose, so no enemy blade shall sneak in to wreak havoc on your eyeball! He has visions for additional modifications to the sculpture in the future.

The elevators were chaotic as more than 1,500 students and 500 industry leaders took over the hotel. My wife, Darla, and I were waiting for a ride up when we overheard some welding talk, and (of course) we joined in the conversation. The students came to compete in another welding category. Still, their team advisor, Jim Davis of Lansing Community College, mentioned he had a student named Sophia Stoll competing in the metal sculpture challenge.

Stoll crafted a beautiful sculpture, selecting a whale shark as her subject and designing a clever stand to cradle it. At the project's outset, she created a 3D rendering of the whale shark and used cardboard to prototype the design before creating patterns for the steel rendition. The final piece is seamless, resembling the graceful movement of a whale in water. The whale shark's distinctive skin spots, represented by small tack welds sanded down, cover its surface. Observers remarked that it appeared to be made from bronze or stainless steel with its subtle body coloring and golden spots. However, Sophia constructed it from mild steel and applied heat treatment to achieve the color scheme. Pretty dang cool!

Competition Highlights

On Saturday morning, we trekked to the competition hall, where the student sculptures were displayed. Welding sculpture chair Jeff Seelye reviewed the game plan with the group. Jeff is a man of great experience and skill. He’s a tradesman, a teacher, and an artist, and his persistence is the reason the contest now exists in Michigan.

I began to hear murmurs among the students about being nervous, but I encouraged them to chill and be themselves. At this point, the only remaining task for the competitors was the interview. I understood their nerves. The judges asked them a set series of questions; it’s almost like a job interview.

This drum kit was made by Allane Stamplis of St. Clair TEC.

A few students had backgrounds with 4H, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts, and they crushed the Q&As. Brett Thompson of St. Clair TEC was one, and his sculpture crushed too! Using found and scrapped parts, he welded and formed “The Bulldozer.” The track followed the sprockets and spins, the engine cover opened and closed, and the blade moved up and down. It was a plan that was well thought out and nicely executed from start to end. Brett’s personality, confidence, and skills make him an ideal candidate for any employer.

Another student, Kat Sulik of Warren Career Preparation Center, credited the Girl Scouts for developing her leadership and people skills. Her sculpture, “A Bird in the Hand,” featured a tree stump built using steel pipe and a ton of welding beads. A metal bush beside the tree sheltered two birds, made mainly with silverware. A third bird sat in a skeletal hand resting on the stump as we pondered the old saying that inspired Kat.

Allane Stamplis, another student from St. Clair TEC, created a drum set that rightfully received considerable praise from her peers. With a welding background inherited from her father, a skilled welder and metal artist, Allane embraced the SkillsUSA opportunity to challenge herself and pay homage to her dad. She used stainless steel, copper, and brass to create the drums and joined the dissimilar metals using electric brazing with a TIG torch and silicon bronze—a technique that always grabs my attention. The drum skins bounced on integrated springs, the copper bell and brass high hat stood out, and it all sat on a beautiful piece of scrap perforated metal. The overall assembly, creative use of materials, and craftsmanship made it a showstopper.

Judging wrapped up swiftly last year, but with more entrants in 2024, conducting interviews and evaluating various aspects of the projects took significantly longer. One eager student/welder/artist, Tala Zehler of Oakland Schools Technical Campus NE, returned to talk to us near the end of our judging session. Tala’s sculpture, “Mjölnir,” was a hammerhead shark, built in sections and bolted together to move like a shark in the ocean. (Technically, there is a penalty if you use fasteners.) This project marked her first time building a sculpture, and while her methods proved unconventional, they underscored the varying degrees of guidance from advisors and teachers. Tala cut the sheet metal into the shapes she needed with a TIG torch and tungsten.

Her completely utilitarian “I gotta do this, not sure what I’m doing, but I’m gonna make it happen” kind of attitude was remarkable. She found aluminum and had the machine shop cut it to use as forms to shape the pieces of the shark, which was smart. I’m not sure her portfolio was what anyone expected. Still, the way Tala colorfully pulled it together and edited it at the last minute made it feel like we entered her headspace and understood her even more as an artist. Maybe not great for SkillsUSA, but Darla (also a fellow metal sculpture judge) commented that she had just met a younger version of me!

“What stood out to me was her transparency and how quickly she warmed our hearts, made us laugh, and taught us about how everyone learns differently,” Darla said of Tala. “When asked about her greatest strength, she said, ‘I show up. The portfolio isn't complete, but I still wanted to show up because I said I would.’”

Tala’s five-year goal is to hone her skills and use them to build a pirate ship to call home. We believe she’ll do it.

Looking Ahead

Overall, this year’s contest was a blast. Each student exhibited exceptional, unique qualities, making it a truly inspiring day that left us buzzing on our trip back to Detroit. Connecting with students who are already passionate about metal was an honor. The jump from year one to year two was incredible; let’s make 2025 even more memorable!!

If you’re a welding student, bug your teacher. If you’re a faculty member or a parent, check out SkillsUSA's website for more information.

SkillsUSA is a national organization serving more than 350,000 middle school, high school, and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations.

Brett Thompson, St. Clair TEC, brought "The Bulldozer" to the competition.