From Scrap to Sculpture: My ScrapFest 15 Journey in Lansing, MI
If you’ve never heard of ScrapFest in Lansing, MI, imagine a wild mashup of welding, art, and a reality TV-style time crunch — except no one gets voted off the island, and everyone leaves with a little more rust on their boots.
This year, I dove headfirst into ScrapFest 15, and I’m here to give you the behind-the-scenes scoop from start to finish — collection day, the long build month, drop-off day, and the big festival itself. Spoiler: there was welding, there were sparks, there was Loose Change Larry (more on him later).
Part 1 – Collection Day at Friedland Industries: AKA “The Great Metal Grab”
Collection day is like Black Friday shopping… but with carts, forklifts, and the occasional tetanus risk. Artists line up at Friedland Industries with gloves on and game faces ready. When the whistle blows, you’ve got one hour to find the perfect scrap metal treasures for your sculpture.
Large Category: 500 lbs of rusty gold!
Small Category: 250 lbs of creative possibility!
It’s chaotic, loud, and somehow beautiful. You see sculptors hauling rebar, digging through bins of gears, pipes, and mystery metal objects (“Is this a tractor part or a spaceship fragment? Who knows!”).
This year, my cart ended up looking like a scrapyard yard sale — but in my mind, I could already see the sculpture it was going to become. Or at least… I hoped I could.
Part 2 – From Scrap to Sculpture: The Build Month
Once you haul your loot home, the real magic (and occasional frustration) begins. One month. That’s all you get to turn a random pile of industrial leftovers into something jaw-dropping.
For me, it’s part puzzle, part wrestling match. Some pieces fit together like they were meant to be. Others? They require more “persuasion” (read: grinder, welder, and maybe a few muttered words the neighbors didn’t need to hear).
This year’s build had:
A few unexpected burns (comes with the territory)
A lot of coffee (fuel for both me and the grinder)
And a few “What am I doing?” moments that turned into “Ohhh, that actually works!” wins
By the end of the month, I had transformed my pile into a sculpture I was proud to show off. Every weld had a story, and every piece of metal had found its new life.
Part 3 – Drop-Off Day at Struck Studio: The Artist Reunion
Drop-off day is like the first day of school, except everyone shows up with hundreds of pounds of metal art. At Struck Studio, the artists roll in, unload their creations, and you can feel the excitement.
For many, it’s the first time seeing what everyone else has been working on. You hear a lot of:
“You made THAT from scrap?!”
“I never would have thought to use that part like that!”
“How heavy is that thing, anyway?”
It’s part inspection, part celebration. And once your piece is officially weighed in and approved, you can breathe a little easier… at least until festival day.
Part 4 – ScrapFest 15: The Big Day
The ScrapFest Art Festival in Old Town Lansing is where all the months of sweat, sparks, and scrap come to life. Crowds pack the streets, vendors line the sidewalks, and the air smells like street food and creativity.
The other teams? Absolutely crushed it this year. From towering abstract pieces to mind-blowing realism, every sculpture brought its own flavor to the festival.
And then there was Loose Change Larry — a robo-street performer who turned up with buckets of coins and a knack for working the crowd. Don’t ask me how he ended up being part of my ScrapFest memory, but he’s now officially part of ScrapFest lore in my book.
Our JonnySWeld booth was rocking too — a mix of merch, conversation, and plenty of people stopping by to talk shop. It’s one of my favorite parts of the event: connecting with people who love art, welding, and the pure fun of making something from nothing. Big shout out to the the other fellow booth artists Mike Beaver, Steve Kost and Andrew Sandstedt who joined us in selling some amazing metal art all under one big tent.
Why ScrapFest Matters
ScrapFest isn’t just about art — it’s about community, creativity, and giving new life to what others might throw away. Every year, it pushes me to think differently, weld differently, and connect with fellow artists in ways I never would otherwise.
So here’s to ScrapFest 15. To the sparks, the friendships, the unexpected challenges, and the beautiful, heavy, one-of-a-kind sculptures that make this event so unforgettable.
Until next year, keep the grinders spinning and the welders sparking.
#scrapfest15 #scrapfest #metalart #metalartcompetetion #artcompetetion #welding #metalartist #weldartist #oldtownlansing #lansing #michigan #mi #friedlandind #friedlandindustries #scrapmetal #scrapfest2025 #jonnysweld #loosechangelary #stevekost #dads357 #mikebeaver #beavesfablab #andrewsandstedt #stalartist #otca #oldtowncomercialassociation .