The Neighbor Kids | ScrapFest 2014

A celebration of art, community and life.

ScrapFest 2014 "Revolution"

The summer is festival season in Michigan. Old Town Lansing has a special element that brings together the celebration of the first day of summer, music, Michigan made craft beer and wine, art and sculpture. Artist that have a little welding knowledge participate in the 5^th annual ScrapFest. A team collects up to 500 pounds of scrap from Friedland Industries’ scrap facility. Then the teams have two weeks to create their artistic masterpiece.

The Neighbor Kids made up of Tom Sheerin, Katherine Maki, Brent Hurst, Megan Hurst from Lansing area and St. Johns.

Megan & Brent Hurst "Revolution"

“You say you want a revolution?” The Neighborhood Kids ask.

The Neighbor Kids created a musical piece that goes in line with the way they live their lives. They fashioned together an electric guitar with an amplifier.

“Since my granddaughter was born I've been putting a guitar in front of her,” Hurst said.

A pasta roller was used to make the bridge, tailpiece and various trim pieces. Aluminum wire was straightened, then twisted and bent to make the strings, letters and music staff. The antenna pole helped name the piece because it gave it “Revolution”. The guitar body was cut out of sheet metal and finished it with translucent metallic paint. The headstock is made of sheet metal with faucet handles for tuners. LED lights from a foot massager were installed for accents on the frets, pickups and on the amp. 





The red guitar majestically reaches for the sky rests on a pedestal. At first glance you might not notice the detail of one brown and one blue adjustment knobs. Judi's eyes were one brown and one blue. At the head of the neck of the guitar is the name Judi. Angel wings sprout from the body of the guitar. These details are all in honor of Hurst’s mother. It is one thing to appreciate a piece of art as a whole. It is another to realize that the details tell more of a story.

The amp was made from leftover pieces. The metal lowers can be removed and the trays can be used as planters. The piece was built in memory of Judi Hurst. Judi loved music and nature. She was an angel on this Earth, and now she soars with beautiful wings”, Team Neighbor Kids

Functional art is a beautiful revolution.

And that is one little piece of many featured at ScrapFest 2014

Thanks for lending me your eyes.

~Melik of Michigan