ScrapFest turns trash to treasure

Rusty metal appliances, car scraps and door handles may seem like unlikely pieces of material to build works of art, but that’s the basis for Old Town’s eighth annual ScrapFest.

“I think ScrapFest is amazing, because it gives an opportunity for people to try something new,” said Ivan Iler, whose art has won ScrapFest’s People’s Choice award the past three years.

Iler’s main gig is running Hammer in Hand Custom Cycles in St. Johns, but he has always been into art.

“I was the kid scribbling on his desk at school,” he said.

Still, Iler hadn’t really planned to enter ScrapFest, a contest in which local artists make sculptures from scrap metal. His buddy Ian Markiw helped install new flooring at Hammer in Hand Custom Cycles, and, to return the favor, Iler agreed to enter ScrapFest with him.

“He said, ‘I want you to do ScrapFest with me, because if you’re on my team, I know we’ll win,’” Iler said.

They did win. And kept winning. Iler's People's Choice award pieces include 2013's The Old Iron Tree, 2014's The Fiddler and 2015's Jonah. Last year was his first entering without Markiw, who moved to California.

Iler is back in the game this year with a piece called The Great Silver Heron.

“We used aluminum to keep wings shiny, and there’s a big lever in the front made out of the core of an old meat grinder, and when you pull the lever down, it opens up its wing with an eight-foot wing span,” he said.

He's found he loves the ScrapFest vibe.

“You get veteran artists and people who have never thought of doing that kind of work,” Iler said. “The main thing is that you get a community of artists together. I would never have met these people.”

So, what does ScrapFest entail? Teams of Michigan artists had one hour to pick up to 500 pounds of scrap material from Friedland Industries, who donates the scrap metal. Then, the teams had two weeks to craft their piece of art from the scrap materials.

Those works of art are on display Friday and Saturday on Turner Street. They’ll be auctioned off, with 50% of the proceeds going to the Old Town Commercial Association and 50% going to the artists.

“I love being able to see the process of the pieces, and how in the end, a little bit of scrap, turned into masterpieces, brings a community together for a fun-filled weekend,” said Heather Mossing, programming director at the Old Town Commercial Association.

Scrapfest is a cool way to promote recycling, waste reduction and local art. Just ask David Such, who founded ScrapFest and also owns Such Video in Old Town.

“When Such Video first moved to Old Town, one of the first things I noticed was a scrapyard called Friedland Industries,” Such explained. “My brother creates sculptures, and I always watched him make things out of scrap, so I thought it would be really cool if artists could make art from scrap and use Friedland as a resource.”

The sculptures, he said, have personality.

“There are some really cool pieces,” Such said. “There are garden pieces for the landscapers out there who are looking for something creative for their clients— big structures made for gardens.”

“It amazes me the art that everyone creates year after year,” Such added. “The artists really took it on. The art is what continues to amaze me.”

Contact Anne Erickson at (517) 377-1006 or aerickson@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AnneErickson.

How to go

Old Town ScrapFest, kick off 6 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday on Turner Street, auction and awards at 7:45 p.m. Saturday, free to get in. There will also be live music and children’s activities on Saturday. Arts pieces are usually auctioned off at anywhere between $500 and $4,500.

Information: www.oldtownscrapfest.org/2016.