ATEC Students Win Welding Sculpture Competition

The FDTC Welding Sculpture Competition is a Pee Dee Regional initiative collaborating between the arts, manufacturing, and education to create an awareness of Florence-Darlington Technical College’s educational offerings and providing scholarships for welding students in key industry growth areas.

The Welding Sculpture Competition sponsored by ESAB Welding and Cutting Products, in short, is a non-profit cultural activity combining welding and fabricating skills with artistic aesthetics. The competition took place in conjunction with Francis Marion University’s Arts International in Downtown Florence, in an eight-hour event, involving professional and amateur competitors from all over the Pee Dee. Teams of artist-welders competed against time and one another to create a full-scale metal sculpture from a large pile of donated steel scrap materials, using creative ingenuity and provided welding tools.
At the end of the competition, the sculptures were judged by an independent panel of jurors, and winners chosen. Prizes awarded to the top teams were furnished by ESAB Welding and Cutting Products.  Each student received an ESAB Warrior Tech Auto-darkening welding helmet and gloves. The ATECH Mechatronics program was awarded $5000.00 for their choice of ESAB Welding & Cutting Products. The students utilized special metal fabrication tools donated by Harbor Freight of Dillon. The sculptures were sold by live auction. Dillon ATEC student’s sculpture sold for $550.00. The proceeds from the auction will benefit the FDTC Welding Technology Student Scholarship Fund. More information can be viewed at http://www.fdtc.edu/weldingrodeo/
The following students were selected by their Instructor, Jerry Bullard, to represent Dillon ATECH, each High School and Dillon County at the 6th Annual Florence Darlington Technical College Welding Sculpture Competition.
Team Leader:  Roger Scott – Lake View High School; Dawson King – Dillon High School; John Bethea  -Latta High School;  Nicholas Cook  – Latta High School;  and Bobby Roberts  – Latta High School.

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