Focus In: The Art of Welding

When it comes to making a lasting impact, arts organizations like the Center for Visual Arts (CVA) know that collaboration is key.

For over forty years, the CVA has worked to serve the greater Wausau community. The organization began as a grassroots effort, founded by volunteers who started our first educational programs out of their own homes, bringing arts education to the entire community. This grassroots history and educational foundation informs our mission today: to promote arts education and make the visual arts accessible to everyone.

With three galleries, a shop featuring Wisconsin artists, a ceramic studio, and year-round educational programming, we continue to build a legacy of creativity and learning with the help of meaningful collaborations.

Art Meets Welding
Our outdoor courtyard was a blank canvas begging to be activated. In the fall of 2023, as we planned for ways to expand our impact, we realized that this space needed color, creativity, and seating. Thatʼs when a unique collaboration was born. After discussing the space with board member Veronica Hope, who is also a welding instructor at Northcentral Technical College (NTC), we fused a new partnership in which art met welding.

Veronica and staff worked together to pitch this project involving NTCʼs Alternative High School program, which allows students to earn their high-school diploma and college credits simultaneously. We met with the welding students, touring our galleries and courtyard to discuss the projectʼs vision: adding artful, functional sculptures to the space. From initial designs and sketches to the final fabrication, the students were essential to every step. While they worked on creation, we secured a grant from the Community Foundation to make the project a reality.

From Sculptures to Stained Glass
As educators at heart, we wanted to ensure this project was more than just an assignment. The goal was to give the students a well-rounded experience, exposing them to a variety of manufacturing processes while creating public art. To thank students and further flex their creative skills, we invited them to a free stained-glass workshop. Here, they learned a new art form and created garden stakes and panels that beautifully coordinated with the sculptures they had designed and welded.

This project also gave students a chance to embrace the nontraditional and see how art and trades can merge. They learned that welding isnʼt just about joining metal; itʼs about sculpting, designing, and bringing a creative vision to life. The first phase of the project culminated in the creation of a stunning 12' (4 m) sculpture and new benches that transformed our courtyard.

A Collaborative Impact
The projectʼs success proved that this wasnʼt a one-time collaboration—it was the start of a lasting partnership. This year, Veronica and her students returned to the CVA, this time through a public art course. They expanded on the initial sculptures, creating even more unique and functional seating arrangements that our visitors and students can enjoy today.

This project was a powerful example of collaboration, leaving a lasting impact on our community while opening our eyes to the creative side of a trade like welding.
We invite you to learn more about the CVA and our other projects and programs at cvawausau.org.