Because of its school’s mascot, St. Louis is known as “The Home of the Sharks.”
Now, thanks to a local artist and the city, the high school has a metal shark sculpture to commemorate the name.
Justin LaDoux of Alma designed and made the sculpture, which he initially donated to the city more than a year ago.
But since then it has found a permanent home.
“The city reached out to St. Louis Public Schools to see if we were interested in the metal shark sculpture,” Superintendent Jennifer McKittrick explained. “Once we saw (it) we absolutely loved it and were excited to display it for our students, staff and community.”
Teacher Phil Maxwell and students in his Shark Tooth Woodshop class were tasked with making a wooden and glass case where the sculpture could be placed on permanent exhibit.
“The showcase perfectly displays the shark for everyone to see,” McKittrick said. “We are very proud to display Justin’s artwork and appreciative of the donation that matchers our mascot.
“Our community appreciates our local artists. St. Louis Public Schools wants our students to have an opportunity to be involved in creative arts, and we hope the shark sculpture encourages our students to be exploratory in their expression in the area of arts.”
La Doux, a graduate of Kendall College of Art & Design in Grand Rapids, said he’s “always been artistic” but didn’t get into designing and building sculptures until he got out of college more than 15 years ago.
All of his works are done using scrap metal, old kitchen utensils, and even parts from discarded washing machines and dryers, as well as other recycled objects, all melded together into the final design.
La Doux has had his metal sculptures recognized by Art Walk Central and the prestigious Art Prize competition is Grand Rapids, where one of his works was purchased by Ripley’s Believe it or Not to display at a location in Mexico.
Locally he donated another shark sculpture in a cage to the W.T. Morris Memorial Swimming Pool in St. Louis, and he was also commissioned by the wife of the late Scott Sheldon, an avid bicyclists, to build a sculpture to memorialize her husband that now stands next to the pavilion at the trailhead of the Fred Meijer Heartland Rail-Trail on Charles Avenue in Alma.
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February 03, 2022 at 05:01PM
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Artist, city donate shark sculpture to St. Louis school - The Morning Sun
"artist" - Google News
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