By Kailey Franklin and Michaela Schmitz, staff writers
Students in Sarah Gapinski’s sculpture classes have been working on the project of a lifetime. They are creating a custom sculpture for Amazon.com, Inc.
The project will feature the seven continents, and will form a globe. It will be about six and a half feet wide, and made of scraps left over from the the construction of the Amazon building.
Gapinski and her classes participated in a district-wide competition to design the sculpture for Amazon, and their design was chosen. Ultimately, the finished artwork will be displayed at the company’s new facility here in Kenosha.
Gapinski’s students designed the sculpture, which is made of rebar and scraps from Amazon. Students came up with their own design, and then Gapinski narrowed those down to 10. The class discussed which designs would work best with the supplies given to them.
“We had no idea what scraps they were going to send us,” said Gapinski, regarding the group’s supplies. “That was nerve wracking waiting for the supplies to arrive.”
Just like most things, the project was more challenging than they all thought it would be.
“Trial and error is definitely a part of this,” said Ariana Voyles, a senior. “Scaling and measuring the continent ratio was the trickiest part.”
Another issue is the assembling of the sculpture. The project is so big that it can’t even be put together in Gapinski’s room.
“We can’t assemble it in our room because of the size of it,” Gapinski said. “We have to keep the supplies in another room because it fills up that entire room, and the tools we use on the supplies are in another room.”
The team works on the sculpture in three separate rooms.
“Keeping a class together, walking around getting supplies and working on it is tough.” Gapinski said.
Those working on the project say it’s taught them a lot.
“Working as a team is better than working alone,” said junior Karen Bautista.
“It takes so much team work and so much dedication to do this job,” junior Addyson Harshburger said.
“I have learned how to use new tools,” Hunter Koden, junior, said.
Gapinski said she learned a lot, too.
“Have lots of backup plans, and stay flexible,” Gapinski said. “Measure six times and cut once.”
The project so far has been an overall positive experience, despite all the challenges.
“I like that the community has an interest in what we are creating,” said Voyles.
“I like seeing the students working together and seeing that moment when they just take off working on it on their own,” said Gapinski. “I don’t think they understood how large this project was and is going to be. I would love to do a project like this again!”