Falling metal, flying shrapnel, punishing heat, blinding light, loud noises — it doesn’t sound like an artist’s studio, but then again, the making of Joseph Rastovich’s art doesn’t fit into a small space. The Kennewick artist, whose primary medium is fabricated sculpture in steel, designs wall art, furniture, and lamps, in addition to significantly sized public art pieces.
He started working with metal when he was 14 years old, after inheriting classic cars from both sides of his family.
“I had to learn metal work to fix these cars, and that quickly transformed into my art career,” Rastovich says. “I had a job as a dishwasher at a jazz and wine club during that time and spent my paychecks solely on metal working tools.”
Ten years later, Rastovich’s studio, which is primarily outside his home (“luckily all my neighbors like me and accommodate my unusual profession”), boasts a plethora of the specialty tools necessary for metalwork: welders, plasma cutters, air compressors, grinders, sheet metal roller, clamps, gantry cranes, vises, sandblasters, an oxyacetylene kit, and forklift among others. These are just the tools. Finding the supplies with which to create is another matter.
“Unlike most artists, when I go to an art supply store, there effectively is nothing I can use,” Rastovich says. “Instead, I source my materials and supplies from industrial stores such as steel yards, welding supply stores, and industrial paint stores.”
The son of two artists — LuAnn Ostergaard, whose box mounted art prints are sold to private and corporate collections nationwide, and Michael Rastovich, an artist of multiple mediums whose resume includes creating a float for the Portland Rose Parade — Rastovich was “unschooled” for much of his educational career, an experience that allowed him to pursue creative endeavors with full focus.
“Curiosity and awe is the foundation of which intelligence is built,” Rastovich says.
“I was free to study philosophy, learn quantum mechanics, create music, look at great art, witness the running of a business, build things, and commune with nature.” The result, for him, is a 21st century Renaissance Man who not only has a passion about everything, but is extremely fit.
“It is a very physical profession,” he explains, one of the reasons he calls himself a metal wrangler, complete with signature cowboy hat, that is, when the situation doesn’t require a hard one.
“Everything is heavy. Before I bought my forklift, half my time was spent just moving steel plate with pry bars, rollers, and blocking.” And while the forklift has made certain aspects of his job easier, it still isn’t . . . easy. Because the work takes place primarily outside, Rastovich finds himself in all types of weather, ranging from 120 degrees to 0 degrees, from full, blazing sun to pouring rain and falling snow.
Rastovich sells his smaller work through galleries as well as furniture, gift, and jewelry stores throughout the Pacific Northwest. His larger, public works are installed in parks, schools, business districts and hospitals in the Tri-Cities, Spokane, and Tualatin, OR. He also attends select art festivals, including the Sausalito Art Festival in California and the Bellevue Art Festival, both prestigiously difficult to get into.
“At art festivals, I often admire jewelers because their entire inventory fits in a suitcase,” he observes wryly. “I have had shows where I needed to bring a forklift. But alas! I enjoy the scale and gravity of my work.”
Visual art, he believes, is like a static form of music, and like music, has the ability to bring forth powerful emotions in the viewer, from tears to joy, from quiet contemplation to the impulse to dance. It is his goal that his own art, large pieces or small, bring on a sense of awe and inspiration.
“I create art to provide relief from normalcy.
“What was a bare wall of insignificance becomes a reason to stop and slow down.
“What was empty space becomes a place for inspiration.
“What was a normal average day can be transformed into a power memory, when one encounters art.”
After months of work, sculptor Joseph Rastovich helped place his “Lazy River” sculpture in Tualatin last week.
Standing 20 feet tall, the winding steel installation sits on the west side of Tualatin Commons Park and is most visible from Martinazzi Avenue between Tualatin-Sherwood Road and Nyberg Street.
True to its name, the sculpture's distinctive shape was chosen to represent the Tualatin River, an integral part in Tualatin's very existence. The shape also represents a mastodon tusk, which Rastovich wanted to include as another important part of Tualatin's history. Covering the sculpture are 32 embossed icons, which further tell the story of Tualatin, past and present.
“The Tualatin Lazy River sculpture very much tells a story with all the icons and the abstract symbolism of the form,” Rastovich said. “Basically, it's kind of like this static storyteller to tell people the history of Tualatin, where Tualatin is now and about the things that have gone on. It's nice to be aware of what has happened in your local area.”
This sculpture is one of eight public art pieces that Rastovich has created since his first at age 18. Now 23, the artist has already been sculpting for seven years and doesn't plan to slow down anytime soon. He feels that public art pieces are an essential element of cities and wants to keep contributing his voice.
“Public art is really great because it creates a space,” Rastovich said. “Personally, I believe it increases the quality of life for the people who interact with the sculptures. It just creates monuments that are a break from the linear world of the city ... They make people think. They can make people inspired to do different things. And they also, in many ways, help tell a story.”
To see Tualatin's story as Rastovich sees it, visit his “Lazy River” sculpture at 7880 S.W. Nyberg St.
"Lazy River," the second of two art installations commemorating Tualatin's centennial, was dedicated last Friday, Aug. 22, in Tualatin Commons Park.
Created by Joseph Rastovich, the 20-foot high sculpture has a curved shape to represent the Tualatin River.
When Rastovich found out that Tualatin was looking for a sculpture to celebrate the centennial, he had just one week to put a presentation together. The committee was impressed by his vision and design and commissioned him to create the piece.
Rastovich, 22, was raised in Portland surrounded by art; both of his parents are artists. He was unschooled every other year growing up, meaning he would go to school for one year, then spend a year schooling himself on whatever interested him.
At age 12, Rastovich became fascinated with quantum mechanics and learned everything he could on the subject. He fabricated his first steel sculpture at 14.
Rastovich explains what he loved about unschooling was he didn't get jaded by learning and by people telling him what he had to learn. Instead, he followed his passions. "Passion is my word," says Rastovich.
"Lazy River" is made of structural steel plate finished with industrial paint. On the sculpture are 32 icons representing the last 100 years in Tualatin's history.Tualatin means "lazy river" in the language of the Atfalati, the region's indigenous Native American people.
The sculpture took nine months to create and weighs about 4,000 pounds. It was installed on Aug. 6.
"My favorite part is forming the steel. I absolutely love organic curves, the organic form, the break from the straight linear world," said Rastovich. "You can be more inspired than the concrete straight line."
The sculpture was a gift from the Tualatin Arts Advisory Committee using funds raised through the annual art show and sale, Artsplash, and not by public funds. The committee commissioned two pieces of public art, "Lazy River" and "Dynamic Continuum."
"Dynamic Continuum," a bas relief mixed media mosaic, created by Lynn Adamo, was installed in the lobby of the Tualatin Public Library last December.
Buck Braden is the chair of the Tualatin Arts Advisory Committee and himself an established painter and artist. According to Community Services Director Paul Hennon, it was Braden's leadership that led to the installation of the two art pieces.
"I think it was something unique and different, the ability to do all these little pieces, the icons, which represent Tualatin," said Braden. "It has a contemporary look. I like the way it fits in."
-- Ginger Moshofsky
Sculptor Joseph Rastovich calls himself a metal wrangler. The work he does can be a little dangerous -- sometimes because of the sheer size and weight of his creations.
The 22-year-old Kennewick artist's latest project includes two 40-foot steel arches that welcome visitors as they enter the grounds to the new Reach center on Columbia Park Trail at the west end of Columbia Park in Richland.
Today is the Reach's opening day. It's open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The impressive 14,000-pound beacons can be seen by drivers on Highway 240 along Columbia Park as well as boaters on the river.
The arches are made up of 10 steel sections welded together, with the help of Kennewick welder Tim Hammack.
The criss-crossing arches represent the sun and are the focal point of a science-themed project started by a group of middle school students from Three Rivers HomeLink in Richland, said Lisa Toomey, CEO of the Reach center.
"They were working on a solar system project and the sun is the first piece in the project," she said.
Sculptures representing the other planets in the solar system will be set up along the Columbia River, with Pluto miles away by the boat launch to the Hanford Reach National Monument near Othello.
Rastovich also said the arches act like a sun dial, casting shadows in the center of the sculpture at the summer solstice and equinox.
"I still have to install the sheet metal skin around the arches," Rastovich said. "We had a little trouble in the beginning that delayed me getting done before the Reach opened. The skin will make the arches more cohesive and I should have that done within the next couple of weeks."
An engineering error caused the delay. It took a few days to fix it before the arches went up in time for the grand opening this weekend.
Rastovich has a passion for big sculpture for reasons he doesn't quite know how to explain.
"I started early, at age 14, making big sculptures," he said. "And I asked my mom once if maybe I should make smaller sculptures, and she just said, 'Go big. You're good at it.'"
Both his parents, Michael and LuAnn (Ostergaard) Rastovich, are well-known artists. His dad is a sculptor and his mother a painter.
Joe Rastovich still lives at his parents' Kennewick home, saving up to buy his own place one day, which he plans to build mostly by himself to make it eco-friendly and to continue his organic gardening.
There is nary a challenge he won't tackle creatively, he said. When he was 14, he carved out his beloved grandfather's casket.
He enjoys building, creating, soaking up knowledge and learning new things.
"I love working because life's too short," he said. "If I were a dog, I'd be a border collie, and if I was a horse, I'd be a draft horse because both of those animals are driven and love to work too."
His current project is creating a 20-foot outdoor sculpture for the city of Tualatin.
To date, he has created eight pieces of public art around the Tri-Cities and beyond.
Joseph Rastovich recently bought a forklift. It's not the most common tool in an artist's kit, but it's just not that easy to move around 20 feet tall steel sculptures by hand.
On occasion, the 22-year-old envies artists with more portable crafts, but he isn't jealous enough to focus on work with a different medium—you can't choose what you love.
Last fall, the self-trained sculptor happened to be at a gallery at First Thursday in Portland when he began talking to Diane Kruger with Signature D Art Consulting. She mentioned that Tualatin was accepting applications for a public art piece to celebrate it's centennial, and that he should apply. With a week left until the deadline, Rastovich whipped together a concept, sent it in and was chosen to create the piece.
“It was really a tight deadline, but I'm used to that,” he said. “People who know me say I'm like the busiest person they've ever known, because I'm just always working on something.”
Even with the limited time Rastovich had to create a concept for the piece, which he titled "Lazy River," as he closes in on its completion, not much has changed from the original blueprint. Standing 20 feet above the ground, the steel sculpture's bendy shape represents both the Tualatin River and a mastodon tusk, two elements the artist felt were crucial to the city's history.
The sculpture will be covered in about 32 embossed icons, which Rastovich chose by working closely with the Tualatin Historical Society to discover what makes Tualatin the city it is today. Among the icon representations are local flora and fauna, pioneers, crawfish, hops, railways, Native Americans and agriculture.
“The Tualatin 'Lazy River' sculpture very much tells a story with all the icons and the abstract symbolism of the form,” Rastovich said. “Basically, it's kind of like this static storyteller to tell people the history of Tualatin, where Tualatin is now and about the things that have gone on. It's nice to be aware of what has happened in your local area.”
This sculpture, along with one more he's working on, make for a total of eight public art pieces that Rastovich has created since his first at age 18. By that point, he'd already been a professional sculptor for two years. With two professional artists for parents, Rastovich doesn't really see how he could have gotten involved in anything else.
“It's kind of hard not to be an artist when you're immersed in the art world your entire life,” he said. “I just love building things, and I love working with steel because it's so malleable and so fluid. You can infinitely change it. You can cut it, you can plasma cut it, you can weld it and then you can weld it again ... It's just a beautiful material to work with.”
Rastovich's first public sculpture measured about 9 feet high, but as his art progresses, the projects get bigger and bigger. Hence the forklift. Most of the pieces are made at his studio in Kennewick, Wash., and then transported to their final destination upon completion. The "Lazy River" sculpture is scheduled to be installed in Tualatin Commons sometime this July. It will rest about 75 feet south of the Martinazzi Avenue/Nyberg Street intersection, just a few steps from the sidewalk.
While the hand-built sculpture is mostly complete, Rastovich is currently in the process of creating the icons, which he will then attach before painting the entire structure. The plan is for the color to be oxidized bronze, which will end up being a kind of muted blue — simultaneously striking and subtle. The ultimate goal with this sculpture as with many of the young artist's pieces, is to make people stop and think, and to hopefully motivate them to be more creative in their own lives.
“Public art is really great because it creates a space. Personally, I believe it increases the quality of life for the people who interact with the sculptures. It just creates monuments that are a break from the linear world of the city,” Rastovich said. “Without public art, the city is very grey, has very hard concrete and very linear surfaces. But with sculptures, they provide a break for the human mind and the eye and consciousness. They make people think. They can make people inspired to do different things. And they also, in many ways, help tell a story.”
To see more of Rastovich's works or to contact him for a project, visit his website at rastovichart.com.
$300,000 donated for solar system project at Hanford Reach Interpretive Center
Published: March 7, 2013
By Sara Schilling, Tri-City Herald
The Columbia Center Rotary Charity is donating $300,000 for an amphitheater at the planned Hanford Reach Interpretive Center and a student-designed solar system project.
The outdoor amphitheater will have large, criss-crossing arches representing the sun.
Sculptures representing the other planetary bodies will be set up along the Columbia River, with Pluto miles away by the boat launch to the Hanford Reach National Monument near Othello.
"It's a red-letter day," said Lisa Toomey, the Reach center's chief executive officer, on Thursday. The rotary charity announced the donation that day and presented a check during an evening meeting of the Richland Public Facilities District Board, which is developing the long-awaited center.
Mike Rader, the charity board president, noted the Reach center's transformation in the last 14 months from a project that was "too big and too expensive" to one that's "affordable, practical (and) sustainable."
"We believe in investing in the future and present this gift to ensure that our children's children have opportunities to not only experience the world in new ways, but to be able to access those experiences right in their own backyard," Rader said.
Students in the STEAM-Link (STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math) program at Three Rivers HomeLink in Richland are designing the planet markers. Several came to Thursday's meeting, along with their teacher, Trevor Macduff, who envisioned the solar system project.
"This is amazing," Macduff said of the donation. "To me, seeing the joy, excitement on the kids' faces -- it makes it real."
The interpretive center at the west end of Columbia Park will tell the story of the region's history and culture.
It's set to open next year. DGR Grant Construction in Richland is the builder and Pasco architect Terence Thornhill is handling design. Apollo Inc. in Kennewick is the contractor for site work, which is under way.
The bulk of the rotary charity's donation -- $250,000 -- will go for the amphitheater, with the rest for the solar system project.
Macduff said the idea is to work with local artists and others in the community to build the planet markers. Artist Joseph Rastovich is working on the sun arches, Macduff said.
Students said they're excited to see their designs come to life. Porter Withers, 13, of Kennewick, worked with another student on a design for Mars. Porter brought a prototype Thursday, complete with a small rotating planet, orbiting moons and nods to the Mars Rover and the shield of the ancient god.
Linnea Walter, 13, and Anne Maughan, 12, showed their design for Venus -- a sculpture of the goddess with flowing hair, holding the planet in her hands. "It feels crazy" to think of it being built, said Anne, from West Richland.
"It's like, we're going to be famous!"
Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/03/07/2303851/300000-donated-for-solar-system.html#storylink=cpy
Devoted to sculpture – Joseph Rastovich
Published February 19, 2013
“Few things are more satisfying than the evolution of magnificent sculptures. What was raw plates of steel, becomes a potent symbol of aesthetics.”
These are the words of Joseph Rastovich, a young artist born and raised in Portland, Oregon, USA. Joseph Rastovich is an award winning and well known public artist in Tri-Cities Washington. Working mostly in abstract and symbolic steel sculpture, he finds purpose and joy in creating public works of art that can be enjoyed by many for years to come.
I had the pleasure to speak with Joseph about his work and his life:
Radu: I know that you were born in a family of artists, have you felt from a tender age that art is your meaning in life? And also when did you start to create sculptures?
Joseph: Having been raised by two professional artists, I was allowed freedom and access to a great variety of creative mediums. I was unschooled every other year, which means I was allowed and supported to learn what I choose. As a result, I acquired varied skills and diverse knowledge. This unique childhood and immersion in the art-world influenced my views towards the meaning and purpose of life. After years of searching, I believe that the purpose of life is to gather new and diverse experiences, therefore adding to the “pool” of collective unconsciousness.
An artist is one who develops something new, whether is it through vision, sound, thought, or movement. Creating something new adds to the collective unconsciousness, and thus is the purpose of life.
At age 14, I had a job as a dishwasher at a jazz and wine club. I invested my money in metal-working tools like a welder, plasma cutter, angle grinders, etc. My initial interest in metal-working was to restore a 1957 Mercury Monterey and a 1963 “Farmall” tractor that I inherited. Then when I found a stack of old plow disks at a scrap yard, I welded them into a 4.5 ft. diameter sphere; this sphere was the beginning of my sculpture life.
R: Have you tried to “involve” in any other art form?
J: I appreciate all art forms. Some that I am continuing to explore are abstract painting, original music, improve dance, novel philosophy and gourmet cooking. I am incorporating many of these other art forms into my sculpture. I am painting them abstractly, making them musically interactive, letting them move, and including philosophical symbolism. Still trying to figure how to cook with sculptures!!
R: How do you feel about not being so exposed like other artists? What I mean…I can see that you have created a lot of public works and I presume sometimes people tend to walk by, admire, but never think of the person that created that sculpture.
J: Actually, public art has been beneficial to my exposure! That is the great thing about public art, anyone and everyone can enjoy public art while it enriches culture and creates unity in the community. I have people stop me on the street in other cities, because they know my work. I love conversations and meeting new people; art has enriched my life that way! Socializing and networking with people is absolutely essential for any professional artist.
R: What was the highest amount of time spent on completing a sculpture?
J: The longest time I spent working on a sculpture was around 9 months. This sculpture was a set of three 23’ tall bunchgrasses completed in early 2012. The Desert Bunchgrasses required miles of plasma cutting by hand, grinding, and welding. I was also fabricating the “Fruits of Our Labor” sculpture and creating inventory for the Sausalito Art Festival at the same time. I work on sculptures everyday, wearing full safety gear in temperatures ranging from 120 degrees to 0 degrees. It’s gritty, loud, heavy, and hot, but I love it! Working is in my blood and on my mind! I moderate the hardness of my career with the softness of nature.
R: Have you ever had an idea that couldn’t been put in practice, from a technical point of view?
J: Steel’s strength, durability, and malleability have few limitations as a material in sculpture. I want to start incorporating utilitarian uses into my sculptures. I want to create sculptures that moderate temperature. I want to create sculptures that clean the air. I want to create sculptures that clean runoff water. I want to create sculptures that predict weather. These concepts are not impossible but they present new research and challenges. Since I have worked with steel for many years, I tend to conceptualize within the constraints of the material, so I have yet had an idea that could not be carried out.
R: Besides sculpture, do you have any other hobbies that you invest time in?
J: I have many other interests outside of sculpture. As an avid nature lover… I love to hike, mountain bike, backpack, forage wild-plants, organic garden, practice natural health, and pursue self-sufficiency. In addition, I play piano, guitar, hand-drums, and didgeridoo. I am always exploring and learning something new!
So let’s explore something new and take a look at some of Joseph’s creations:
By Action News TeamPublished: Feb 9, 2012 at 9:08 AM PDTLast Updated: Feb 9, 2012 at 11:55 AM PDT
KENNEWICK, Wash. -- The city of Kennewick is unveiling a new roundabout they believe will save taxpayer money.
Instead of landscaping, sculptures were added at Clearwater Avenue and Leslie Road.
Costing about $30,000, they will be cheaper in the long run rather than maintaining grass or shrubs.
Joseph Rastovich, the sculptor, says, "We wanted to pay tribute to the area of our landscape so it symbolizes the bunch grass.
The City of Kennewick expects to add three *more sculptures in Southridge later this Summer.
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/Kennewick-honors-nature-by-removing-landscaping-from-roundabout-design-139002139.html
KENNEWICK, Wash. -- Drivers might notice new artwork inside of the roundabout on Leslie Road and Clearwater Ave.
Three steel grass bunches were installed in the roundabout Wednesday afternoon, and weigh about 3,000 pounds each. The artwork was commissioned by both the cities of Kennewick and Richland, because the roundabout is right on the border of the two cities.
The sculptor, Joseph Rastovich, came up with the design with his family. "We made these bunch grass sculptures to symbolize the flora of our natural area around here," said Rastovich.
It took about five months and just over $30,000 to build the 22 foot tall structures. The artwork was commissioned by the cities to save money in future landscaping costs.
http://www.kndu.com/story/16774072/new-artwork-installed-in-roundabout
Dori O'Neal, Herald staff writer
Anyone who ever watched the I Love Lucy TV series remembers the episode where Lucy Ricardo stomps grapes the old-fashioned way -- with her bare feet.
Visitors to the annual Grapefest event, which is Sept. 10 in downtown Kennewick, can toss off their shoes and step into a wine barrel and try it for themselves.
This is the centennial anniversary of Grapefest, and there will be plenty of fun for the whole family taking place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
The kick-off for the festival happens the day before the stomp when the father/son sculpting team of Michael and Joseph Rastovich of Kennewick dedicate their Fruits of Our Labor sculpture.
"This metal sculpture has a highly appropriate grape theme," said Merrieanne Door, with the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership who is sponsoring the event.
The unveiling begins at 4 p.m. Sept. 9 at the corner of Auburn Street and Kennewick Avenue.
By Dori O'Neal, Herald staff writer
KENNEWICK -- Joseph Rastovich admits he's a bit unusual compared with other teens.
The 18-year-old Kennewick High graduate loves all things old, doesn't care for video games, has no interest in using his cell phone for text messaging, grows his own vegetables (he's also vegetarian) and he loves to hike to the top of the Horse Heaven Hills or Badger Mountain to meditate.
Quantum physics doesn't scare him, he thinks his parents are cool and he's totally in tune with his creative side.
That creativity soon will be evident as a 10-foot-tall, ferocious-looking metal sculpture titled Tree of Life that Rastovich created from the ground up is installed on the grounds at his alma mater.
The ferocious part is four lion heads that fan out in different directions at the top of the sculpture. Rastovich hoped to have the piece finished so it could be unveiled at Kennewick's graduation ceremony last Saturday, but he said the rainy weather kept him from getting it painted in time.
Rastovich was asked by Kennewick High senior class officers to create the sculpture as a legacy to the school from the Class of 2010.
"They knew I was in the business of creating public sculptures because they were aware of the Synergy sculpture my dad and I created for the Tri-Cities Business and Visitor Center on Young Street in Kennewick," he said.
Anne Marie Driver, Kennewick's senior class president, said the class officers wanted to leave a legacy at the school that would honor those classmates who died too young.
"We came up with the title The Tree of Life and we knew Joe was a great artist so we asked him to create something that would reflect the title," Driver said. "We couldn't be happier with what he created."
Both Rastovich's parents are well known Tri-City artists. His father, Michael Rastovich, is a sculptor, and his mom, LuAnn Ostergaard Rastovich, is a photographer and painter.
Another trait Rastovich excels at is self-motivation, which his parents say he's excelled in since childhood.
"We never had to make Joe do anything," his father said. "When he gets interested in something he just dives into it, and he's interested in just about everything."
That fascination with life and all there is to learn from it keeps him a busy boy.
"Joe's always had a good work ethic," his mother said. "When he gets interested in something he isn't afraid to work hard to get good at it."
He also likes to keep both his left and right brain equally charged. He spends his time feeding the right hemisphere by creating massive pieces of metal sculpture. And to make sure the left brain doesn't go soft, he studies quantum mechanics for fun.
"And he's good at it too" said his mother. "He also eats everything he grows. He's like (naturalist) Euell Gibbons reincarnated."
But Rastovich said he really likes quantum mechanics as much as he enjoys philosophy and gardening and music and hiking and art. He also likes to express his opinions on various topics.
"I do like to voice my opinions but I don't think I'm arrogant about it," he said. "I feel very confident about myself. My parents have always treated me like an equal and they also taught me that it's important to embrace humility too."
The one thing that does make Rastovich a normal kid is that he has so many irons in the fire that he sometimes has a tough time deciding what he'll do next.
He hasn't decided whether he'll head off to college this fall or take a year off and concentrate on creating more outdoor sculptures.
"If I do decide to go to college, I'd like to study environmental engineering," he said. "But my life is pretty packed right now. We'll see what happens a year from now."
But first he has to hope the rain and wind stop haunting the Tri-Cities so he can get The Tree of Life painted and installed on the Kennewick High campus this summer.
Rastovich was paid $4,000 for creating The Tree of Life, which has a street value of $12,000, he said.
Driver said she and the class of 2010 spent the last four years holding fundraisers with a goal that when they graduated they would have a substantial amount of money for their class gift to the school.
"I'm so glad we did this," Driver said. "Joe's sculpture is fabulous."
