Gibraltar Students Create Playground Arch

Student Nolan Gieseler shapes a bracket for cut-out butterfly wings. Photo by Craig Sterrett.

Gibraltar High class gains art, tech, welding skills through public art project

Advanced technology students gained multiple skills this year while completing a civic art project at Gibraltar High School.

For most of the second semester, students in artist and industrial technology teacher Nathan Hatch’s Technology and Design class worked to fabricate, plan and assemble an arch that will be installed at the Kendall Park Playground behind the Baileys Harbor Town Hall.

Kari Baumann, the sister of the late Kendall Weisgerber who drowned in 1991 at age 6, mentioned to Hatch that she would love to see a piece of art with butterflies at the playground this summer. Kari, her brother Ryan Weisgerber, and community members raised funds for a $500,000 upgrade to the playground that originally was built in 1992 in memory of Kendall.

After receiving the request, Hatch looked at what metals he had in his art studio as well as what was lying around at Gibraltar High. The school had received a donation of several miscut, diamond-shaped pieces of heavy-gauge steel, and he thought those would make good butterfly wings. He had a leftover, stainless steel tube at his house and donated that to the school.

Students including sophomore Beckett Johnson, junior Teddy Roth and seniors Nolan Gieseler, Cooper Gaddes and Garrett Tanck have spent the winter helping to visualize, measure, cut and attach parts of the arch.

Hatch said the students don’t know it, but what they’re doing resembles a fourth-year college art project. They’re also learning industrial processes and design-build skills by learning and employing visualization, creating prototypes, performing mig and tig welding, using a horizontal band saw, and using a plasma-cutter, grinders and other hand tools to complete the project. 

“I like that the projects that we are doing have a real-world application and will be displayed at a public place,” said Cooper Gaddes, a senior on track to become a diesel mechanic. “I am furthering my welding skills and getting better at working as a team and being a leader within the class.”

Gaddes already had skills in metalwork, but welding on stainless steel and making mounting tabs using a plasma cutter came as new experiences.

Hatch hopes the Advanced Technology class can appear in front of a town or village board to make a presentation, hear ideas and a pitch of another public-art project next year. 

After creating a prototype out of PVC pipe and cardboard wings in early winter, the students learned a process to weld rectangular steel mounting tabs onto the stainless steel tube. They cut out arched brackets to fit and bolt in between the tabs, welded the butterfly wings to the brackets and bolted the brackets to the tabs. 

As of late April, they had some finishing work to do.

Residents and visitors will be able to see the finished project at an unveiling scheduled for June 22. Baumann, who also serves on the school board, said the students are expected to make a presentation to the board in early spring.

Baumann said she loves that the students are involved in a community project that serves to decorate a park while also honoring her sister, who was a Gibraltar student. She also said Hatch is teaching the students multiple skills in a goal-oriented project that gives them a head start for further training and future jobs.

Baumann said the students will have their names on bricks at the park, and someday can show their children the permanent art piece they made.

“This touches my heart in more ways than I can say,” Baumann said.