By Karen Gavis/se news editor
A team of SE students are building huge works of art using canned food destined for a Tarrant Area Food Bank as part of the Canstruction competition and show.
SE student Andrew Olivo designed this year’s sculpture and said a lot of people see it as an object, but, to him, it is really a coming together of ideas and inspirations, such as natural shapes and ellipses.
“I see it as a collection of concepts that I was working on,” he said. “It’s kind of deep, I guess.”
Olivo worked on the building and tearing down of last year’s sculpture and said he played around with a few concepts this year.
But what is it? Well, Olivo’s not exactly clear on that.
“I tell you what it isn’t,” he said. “It is not a sailboat, and it is not a Viking ship.”
SE students Phong Bui and Minh Dang helped construct the practice model on SE Campus. The build took six hours, and a lot of people think it is a boat, they said.
This was the first full-scale structure the two students have built, and Dang said it was fun and engaging — but repetitive.
They began with 5,000 cans but used only 2,800 in the construction.
“We didn’t need those,” Bui said pointing to stacked cases of canned food that will be donated to the food bank.
SE architecture instructor Arnold Radman said Campbell’s Soup donated 10,000 cans for the project this year.
“They were more than generous,” he said.
Radman said the team learned a few things during the practice.
“We learned what to do and what not to do,” he said.
TCC students will be competing against professional architectural firms.
Radman said the competition helps make people aware that TCC provides architectural training, and several of his students have secured jobs through participation.
“It’s a matter of networking,” he said.
The team has two sets of cans, and their sculptures will be on display for the show AmeriCANs-Fighting Hunger Oct. 1-16 at NorthPark Center in Dallas and Oct. 9-16 at North East Mall in Hurst. Visitors can view displays free of charge.
At Northeast Mall, visitors are invited to vote for their favorite Canstruction. One-dollar donations are asked for each vote, and proceeds will benefit Tarrant Area Food Bank.
Radman said it would be nice if TCC people would come out to vote and show their support for the SE students.
Tarrant Area Food Bank will distribute canned food used during the event to its partner charities in 13 north central Texas counties.
“Every can counts,” executive director Bo Soderbergh said.
Radman said students generally will continue to be active in community service after the competition because it makes them aware that people out there need help.
