Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber and the SWCC Foundation Inc., partnered with the Pathways CTE welding class to create a sculpture from donated community scrap metal. Shown are Renea Salyer, Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce executive director, left, with Christopher Jarvis, a welding student and his creative product, a bluegill. Photo provided by the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce.

News Release

SYRACUSE — Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber and the SWCC Foundation are excited to share a community sculpture created in partnership with the Pathways CTE welding class made from donated community scrap metal.

The metal creation of a bluegill made from scrap metal by Christopher Jarvis with help from other students in the Patheways CTE welding class, is currently on display in the Syracuse Wawasee Chamber office at 207 N. Huntington St., Syracuse. Photo provided by the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce.

Last summer, Executive Director Renea Salyer collected materials with a vision to create a fish sculpture as a community project. She approached the CTE welding class instructor, Kenneth Long, asking for assistance from his class to weld the project together.

“The results are outstanding! Mr. Long and his students were very inspired by the artistic project as an innovative approach to the welding trade,” stated Salyer.

The fish sculpture is a rendering of one of a native species, the bluegill, and the creative product of welding student, Christopher Jarvis. The project was a combined effort with the help of West Noble student Mikayla Nichols who created the artwork template, and Fairfield student Alex Yoder, who assisted Christopher by cutting out the templates and the metal parts of the fins. The sculpture is on a swivel and placed on a stand recycled from donated metal from a Rinker Boats display. Jarvis took the idea, the supplied box of junk creating a spectacular piece of art for the community. “We are very proud of his work and hope he uses the talent he found in future endeavors,” stated Salyer.

The sculpture will be placed at an upcoming art show at the high school May 2-6. Until then, it will be housed in the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber office at 207 N. Huntington St., Syracuse.

The public is welcome to stop by and see it. Salyer plans to take it out to events and eventually find an outdoor location for the piece to be displayed permanently.

The chamber will conduct a naming contest on social media. They are looking for creative ideas to name the sculpture.

Visit their Facebook page or group page “Experience Syracuse” to submit your name idea.