A Logansport metal fabricator’s sculpture is soaring into an international art competition where it will be on display outside a downtown law firm in Grand Rapids, Mich.
James Galbreath’s latest work — “Meteor” — was made by welding thousands of rings cut from 4-inch steel pipe into an enormous sphere. He estimated there are about 16,000 to 17,000 in all, resulting in a weight of about 3,000 pounds.
Rings making up the bulk of the meteor are about 2 inches thick and get thinner as they branch off into a tail, representing its descent from outer space. Galbreath left gaps throughout to illustrate the space debris breaking up as it plunges through the atmosphere.
He made it at his shop on the grounds of Galbreath Industrial Services, which specializes in steel fabrication, custom machining and other similar services. The skills Galbreath uses to make his living are the same ones he uses to make his artwork.
”Every now and then I get feeling like I need to do an art project,” he said.
He entered the sculpture in ArtPrize, an annual international art competition that’s been held in Grand Rapids, Mich., since 2009. Pieces are displayed at establishments within a 3-square-mile area of the city’s downtown for the 19-day event.
Ten locations reached out to Galbreath with a request to display “Meteor.”
”I was surprised,” Galbreath said. “I didn’t expect that many venues to request it.”
Galbreath ended up going with law firm Barnes and Thornburg’s Grand Rapids office. His sculpture will be displayed outside the building’s main entrance on the corner of Pearl Street and Monroe Avenue about two blocks from the Grand River.
”I was fortunate enough to get one of the most sought-after venues in the contest,” Galbreath said, going on to describe the street corner as one of the busiest in the city.
ArtPrize awards more than $500,000 in prizes determined by public votes and juries of art experts. There were more than 1,500 entries in 2014 displayed at 174 venues that drew more than 441,000 visitors.
The 2015 competition will be Sept. 23 through Oct. 11.
Because the garage doors at his shop are only about 2 inches taller than the piece, Galbreath had to be careful when hauling it outside on his forklift. Once he got it out in the open, he started hosing it down regularly.
“You’ll see me out there watering it every day,” he said.
The intention behind this meteor shower is to allow the rings to rust. Stainless steel rings are interspersed throughout, creating what Galbreath said will be a pleasant silver contrast among the dark red.
Longer pieces of pipe zigzag within the meteor. Galbreath built the bulk of the orb with a wide enough opening for him to place these pipes inside before closing it up.
“I didn’t want to obstruct the view through it but I wanted something to make it interesting,” he said.
Galbreath, who said he has always admired films and television shows about outer space, started the project in fall 2014 and worked on it off and on until finishing in late April.
The meteor is not the first time Galbreath has applied his professional training to creative endeavors.
The 13-foot steel statue of a man and woman dancing he made was unveiled near Third and Market streets in downtown Logansport in 2012. A steel dinosaur skeleton clutching a mailbox in its jaws stands in his front yard.
Galbreath calls these undertakings “therapeutic” ways to release stress, adding it’s not uncommon for him to stay late after work making progress on an art project.
“It helps relax you and clear your mind,” he said.