MEET OUR ScrapFest 15 Judges!
Give it up for our ScrapFest 15 judges of the scrap metal sculpture competition! We're super excited to have them join us!
All of our judges this year are great metal artists, and many of them have participated in ScrapFest before.
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and People’s Choice (for both Large and Small categories) will be announced on Saturday July 13th at 4:30pm ET! 🥇🥈🥉🏆
Adam Stempka's work is a celebration of craftsmanship and material exploration. Fueled by an insatiable curiosity and passion for creating with his hands, he develops innovative designs and formally inventive sculptures that explore line and volume to create visually captivating works of art.
His work balances line, gesture, and texture to create expressionistic forms that pulsate with energy. By combining traditional materials and techniques with a modern aesthetic, Stempka creates sculptures that are familiar yet wholly original. The results are robust works of art that are singular in their ambition and universal in their appeal.
An Erie, Pennsylvania native and 4th generation welder by trade, Stempka began his career working with infrastructure and locomotives. Combining his impeccable craftsmanship with his artistic eye, he worked scrap metal into multiple objects creating unique sculptures, and realized that this was his life's path.
An acquaintance commissioned him to create a tattered American flag. Soon after he posted the final piece, Stempka received hundreds of inquiries nationwide contacting him for flags. To date, his company, Metalheads, has created over 25,000 custom flags and shipped them to every state in America! During this time, Stempka pivoted back to his dream: sculptures and founded Stempka Designs.
His unique works of art have received high acclaim and gained the attention of the community, highly-esteemed businesses, and celebrities.
Cecilia Garcia-Linz
Cecilia Garcia-Linz is an artist activist who began creating art with her children at places like REACH Studio Art Center in Lansing, Michigan. Cecilia is committed to environmental conservation and justice, equity, social and racial justice and uses reclaimed materials to spark dialogue about these issues. She is passionate about helping others discover affordable and accessible ways to tap into their own creativity and recycles far more materials than she uses to create with, with a goal of utilizing materials unfit for recycling or creating in a way that allows for works to be recycled post consumer.
Dace Koenigsknecht
I’ve created a wide array of public and private commissions, finding pleasure in the collaborative process of creation – idea, plan, sketch, fabricate, and deliver. The intellectual exercise and challenge is motivating, and the craftsmanship of handwork is very rewarding. I enjoy creating unique objects that are used or encourage interaction. I like abstraction because of the mental engagement required of the viewer. Their past and present experiences will ‘personalize’ what they see.
Jeno Rivera
Jeno Rivera is the current director of the Institute of Agricultural Technology, a two-year workforce readiness program at Michigan State University. Her scholarship focuses on initiatives that blend technical education with community engagement. As a former high school welding instructor, she continues to empower college students and community members through hands-on builds that foster pride of place and resourcefulness using metal and reclaimed materials. Her work is dedicated to inspiring collaboration and creativity, helping others create meaningful structures that strengthen communities.
Kyle Orr
Winner of Scrapfest 2016.
Judges choice, People’s choice and record setting auction price.
Artist and fabricator of MSU STEM 3 story boiler refurbish project make over work, including steam punk cocktail tables, coal chain padded chair and heavy timber steam punk boiler parts bench. Judge of MSUFCU Michigan highschool art contest.