Art installation symbolizes Lakewood school spirit

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Engineering students at Lakewood Ranch High School have left a permanent mark on their school campus — a nine-foot-tall statue of a mustang.

Students, staff and other involved parties gathered at the school’s courtyard May 26 to unveil the piece, which students in Greg McGrew’s Engineering II class designed, cut and welded together over a four-month period.

“It was fun getting to experience welding,” sophomore Garrett Healey said. “That (skill) could be used for a future job. It was fun. (The statue) represents the school and it came out awesome.”

The silver and black horse stands atop a green base and is located in the courtyard just outside the main school office.

“Anybody who is here is a Mustang,” McGrew said. “It’s neat for (students) to pull in a project like this — that they’ve made history.”

Engineering students began learning about welding in late February when McGrew invited Brad Ranney of All Phases Welding & Fab. to speak with his two second-year engineering classes about various aspects of welding. Through those interactions, however, a bigger vision emerged — a class project that would give students more hands-on experience.

Students then began looking at pictures of mustangs, and after several weeks of discussion, passed their favorites to art students, who came up with a final design for the statue project.

After constructing a wood prototype and purchasing materials for the metal sculpture, students began working on the actual statue.

Several students even traveled to All Phases Welding to help finish the project and use tools unavailable at the school.

“I’m very proud of them,” McGrew said of about 50 students who worked on the project. “In many cases, this was the first welding they had done. It was a win-win for everybody.”

McGrew and Ranney both noted students completed nearly 100% of the work themselves.

“I basically stood by and helped them with how to hold (the tools) and place (materials on equipment),” Ranney said. “They ran with it. Ninety percent of work was done on school grounds. We just did the finishing touches at my shop.”

“It’s a pleasure to see I can help these kids,” he said. “It’s fabricating — being able to put something together and make it work.”

McGrew said the Manatee County School District stepped in to help get a concrete base installed in time for the unveiling last week, as well.

Also contributing to the project were Air Gas, which donated some safety equipment and provided materials at discounted prices, and Quality Powder Coating Inc., who put the finish on the statue.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].