What’s more metal than making art?
Several Spring Lake High School pitted their skills in metal casting against national competition this spring, and some came back with top marks.
Monte Dephouse placed first overall in the first-ever “Casting Dreams” competition for their work, titled “Stingray.” Owen Fewless and Samantha Eliopolus also received honorable mentions with their works, titled “Christmas Puppies” and “Turtle,” respectively.
Dephouse said they have always wanted to make a pendant for a necklace, and the opportunity arose for this creation. “I had to think about what was possible to be casted,” they said. “There were a lot of things that had edges that would have messed up the casting.”
Dephouse wrote a paper about the importance of the piece, while it also took hard work to find the right object to make the mold out of. In spite of receiving the top honor, Dephouse recognized the quality competition.
“I think it is really interesting to be the winner, even though I know that I did not put in the most work,” Dephosue said. “I put a lot of work into this, so it is nice to have that be recognized, but my piece was nowhere near the most complicated.”
Fewless echoed the reward of being recognized.
“It was very rewarding seeing my casting,” he said. “Lots of work, sanding and dedication went into my project. I enjoyed seeing my hard work pay off even though people said it would be difficult, and I loved adding lots of details and fine tuning my cast.”
Eliopulos added that the competition was all about having fun with friends.
“It was fun and a good experience to do with my friends,” she said. “I am artistic, so I found it entertaining.”
The 2024 “Casting Dreams” competition was the first-ever such event hosted by the Steel Founders’ Society of America, and was held in Wisconsin in April. The competition showcases works that combine artistry and metal casting.
Other Spring Lake students who competed include Garrett Abel, Hudson Braak, MiAnna Gennette, Ryan Grimm, Anderson Keaney, Logan Ross, Zane Stahl, Gabe Trask, and Chevy Vanderlaan.
