On October 28th, after 7 months of planning, construction, and patience, Nations’ Centenary sculpture was finally unveiled. This metal sculpture, which you can see above, was built and welded by a group of 22 dedicated students, including myself, and one incredibly supportive art teacher, who, from February to September, worked tirelessly to bring the project to life.
The shape, chosen by the project's overseeing art teacher, Mr. Worth, symbolizes the community beyond our walls, a united community. The hands holding each other for support symbolize collaboration, connection, and collective strength. It reminds us that we are stronger when we support each other.
The process itself consisted of a few main stages:
Designing and Measuring
This initial stage of the process consisted primarily of planning the sculpture, including finding an appropriate location, brainstorming ideas for the design (with an appropriate affiliated symbolism), preparing adequate dimensions, and more, all of which were mostly done by Mr. Worth at this stage.
Molding
This was our longest process, taking weeks of working through lunches, but, in my opinion, the most engaging. We measured, cut, and molded metal to fit the exact shape of our design. We learned about welding techniques, a new topic for most of us, and were humbled after realizing just how much strength is needed to manipulate metal.
Welding
The next step was to weld and connect all the various parts together, getting closer to one final product. This was an intricate process where we were constantly checking and ensuring that the structure was sturdy and properly fused.
Coating and Installation
Once the shape was done, we applied a layer of protective coating on the surface of the metal. Then, the culmination of months of hard work paid off: the sculpture was finally hung up, and later unveiled for our entire Foundation to see.
This process helped me, and the rest of the participants, apply life skills I’m grateful I practiced, including attention to detail, determination, and collaboration.
The structure itself was much like the process of making it; many parts came together to make one.
You can now find “Hands Clasped” at the front of our school, where it will be for, hopefully, another hundred years.
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