Thanks to the WSU Sculpture Guild, many people have a whole new appreciation for packing peanuts.
The Guild used the material to create a collaborative sculpture at the fourth annual Wichita Mini Maker Faire, which was held at Exploration Place July 21-22.
It turns out that starch-based packing peanuts stick together when dampened with a sponge, making them an ideal material for a crash course in 3D design. Visitors to the Guild’s demo booth were invited to create their own miniature sculptures or add to a six-foot-tall figural representation of a head. Barry Badgett, associate professor of studio arts, fabricated the base of the large sculpture prior to the event.
Sculpture Guild member
The enormous packing-peanut head was a popular stop at the Faire, which drew more than 2700 attendees over the weekend.
“It was lots of fun to watch the children play with the materials and make something together,” said Kelley Fryman, a senior studio arts major who helped work the Sculpture Guild’s booth during the Maker Faire.
The Guild also brought along the Ultimaker2, one of ADCI’s 3D printers, which printed tiny figures all weekend.
Senior studio arts major and Sculpture Guild member Travis Tyson set up his own booth nearby in order to demonstrate “lightning pyrography,” a dangerous-looking method of wood burning with high-voltage electricity, which he uses to create Lichtenburg figures—fractal patterns that form when lightning strikes.
“Everybody comes to the Maker Faire to explore and learn, and everyone is super excited and interested in what is being presented” said Tyson, who noted that he gained a significant number of Instagram followers through the exposure he received from the event.
The Sculpture Guild is a registered student organization at WSU. Its members are students and alumni committed to the promotion and appreciation of the sculptural arts. Badgett serves as the group’s faculty advisor.
“Participating in the Sculpture Guild gives me the chance to mingle with my peers, to collaborate on gallery shows and to get myself out there,” said Fryman.
ADCI is home to three other student groups: the WSU Ceramics Guild, Tornado Alley Press (the printmaking guild) and the ShiftSpace Student Group.
Follow the WSU Sculpture Guild on Instagram.