The Springfield Education Foundation

Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit Academy of Arts & Academics through Springfield Education Foundation, and any donation will help make an impact. We are building a huge Crow sculpture for the City of Springfield.

History

For years (dating back to 2014) two local metal smiths and A3 teachers Andrew Hunt and Jared Mills have worked off and on to create plans for a big metal sculpture for the city of Springfield. This project has been envisioned as A3 students creating parts of the sculpture such that they can be part of a lasting sculpture in our community.

There have been many challenges to this project, but the primary ones have been financial, design, and production. After much consideration and many attempts at other avenues we have a plan that can realize this goal.

You may ask why a big metal sculpture?

There are many reasons for wanting to realize this project:

- It would give back to the community.

- It would teach A3 students a range of skills including the process of designing, proposing, developing, fabricating, finishing, and installing public art sculpture

- It would give A3 students an opportunity to add to the landscape of Springfield with their art

- While murals have helped push similar experiences, sculpture has a longevity that often eclipses murals, creating public art that can be enjoyed for generations

- It creates a capstone project for the metal arts-blacksmithing J term class that hundreds of A3 students have enjoyed over the past decade.

- Is a project that brings together all members of the community.

The plan

Financial:

- Local donors will all be approached to help fund the project (you!). Thegoal will be to obtain $15,000 of funding.

Design and Construction

- Students and staff will work together over a period of 1-2 years to create a 7ft tall sculpture of a Crow, the talisman of A3. Each student and staff member will create a single steel feather, 5”-9” in length, drawing designs upon it, which will then be electro etched into the steel.

- A local metal sculpture artist will be hired to help design and fabricate the support skeleton of the sculpture. Teachers will help to fabricate. It will be powder coated professionally to protect from the weather.

Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me. Any amount makes a difference!