Scrap Can Be Beautiful

Since 1978 CMC has hosted the annual Scrap Can Be Beautiful contest and exhibit, partnering with Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, located in Dallas, Texas. This year, students in the Sculpture, 3D Design 1 and 3D Design 2 classes created 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 whom have judged the contest for over 30 years. Sculptures were judged in ‘Tabletop’ and ‘Floor’ categories and the winning entries will be displayed in the corporate lobby of CMC for one year. 

Artist Jessica Bell, the sculpting and welding instructor for the 2024/2025 school year at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, oversaw the students as they created their works of art, from concept of design to sculpting and welding.

The 2025 judging panel was comprised of sculptural artist George Tobolowsky, Cheryl Vogel, Curator of Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden and Sydney Smith of the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. Also joining the judging panel were Kat Warwick, a sculptural stone carving artist whose works are in public and private collections all over DFW and who serves as curator and on the board of the Creative Arts Center of Dallas, Gail Sachson, art educator, writer and founder of Ask Me About Art, Inspire Art Dallas and the former Chair of the Dallas Cultural Affairs Commission, and 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, along with curating the inaugural exhibition at the Latino Cultural Center and exhibitions in the family space at the Center for Creative Connections.  

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.