Scrap Can Be Beautiful

2024 celebrates 46 years of CMC’s annual Scrap Can Be Beautiful contest and exhibit. Since 1978, CMC has hosted this annual contest, partnering with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, located in Dallas, Texas, where students in the 3D Design 2, Sculpture and AP3D Design classes create art sculptures out of scrap metal donated to the school from one of our local recycling yards in the Dallas area.

The artwork is judged by a panel of professional sculpture artists and individuals who have worked in the arts field, some of who have judged the contest for over 30 years. Sculptures are judged in ‘Tabletop’ and ‘Floor’ categories and the winning entries are then displayed in the corporate lobby of CMC for one year. 

Artist Jessica Bell, the sculpting and welding instructor at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, oversees the students as they create their works of art, from concept of design to sculpting and welding.

The 2024 judging panel was comprised of sculptural artists George Tobolowsky and Terri Stone, along with Jed Morse, Chief Curator of the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, and Cheryl Vogel, Curator of Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden in Dallas.

Also judging was Gail Sachson, art educator, writer and founder of Ask Me About Art, Inspire Art Dallas and former Chair of the Dallas Cultural Affairs Commission along with artist, and curator Maria Teresa Garcia-Pedroche  who has directed and exhibited works in Texas, Mexico, and Spain and has served as curator and director of education programs at the SMU Meadows Museum; served as Head of Community Outreach at the Dallas Museum of Art; and has curated the inaugural exhibition at the Latino Cultural Center and exhibitions in the family space at the Center for Creative Connections. 

This year’s judges were also joined by Kat Warwick, a sculptural stone carving artist whose works are in public and private collections all over DFW and serves as curator and on the board of the Creative Arts Center of Dallas, and sculptural artist Rebecca Low, owner of the Rebecca Low Sculpture Metal Gallery in Ft. Worth.

The judges awarded eleven overall prizes this year across both categories, as well as a Best in Show award for the overall body of work created by a student. Students of the winning sculptures were awarded monetary prizes by CMC. Each student was also given the option to enter the pieces they wished to sell into a virtual silent auction where employees were allowed to bid and purchase pieces.  

For questions related to Scrap Can Be Beautiful, please contact contest and exhibit coordinator Susan Gerber at susan.gerber@cmc.com.