High school students to create sculpture for 'Canstruction' event

When Kate Sablotsky saw a call to artists over the summer asking “CAN you do it?,” she knew she wanted to create something for Canstruction, an event that involves building structures out of cans of food.

The Philip Simmons High School teacher saw a Canstruction display when she lived in Virginia many years ago, so she and fellow engineering teacher Anne Magill Payne submitted the designs for this unique project, with a team of students and staff to help with the planning and building.

Canstruction, an organization that sponsors events in cities around the world, usually is a competition between groups. But since this is the first time the event is being held in the Lowcountry, the organizers selected just the high school team in order to showcase the students. “They asked us to pilot the entire program,” Sablotsky said.

The team will be building a tall gate with two towers and two palm trees, inspired by blacksmith and school namesake, Mr. Philip Simmons, who worked to create some of the most well-known iron gates in Charleston. The finished sculpture will use about 6,000 cans, according to Sablotsky, and she requested specific cans because they all need to be the same height and have a similar look. For example, the towers are being built with cans of baked beans, and the gates are made out of silver-labeled cans of peas.

On Saturday, Nov. 16, the team of 10 students will build the structure at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre from 12-3 p.m. The family friendly event is open to the public and there will be food, face painting, live entertainment, and jump castles.

Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods and The Lowcountry Food Bank will have bins available to collect donations. All the canned goods that are part of the structure will also be donated to the local food bank.

Alexis Barbalace, Annual Giving Officer at the Lowcountry Food Bank, said in a press release, “We are thrilled that students are taking the initiative to help raise awareness about hunger and its overarching effects to our community.”

The structure will stay on display for a couple of weeks, and Sablotsky admits factoring in the weather has been a challenge. They had to consider the material used to secure the structure — cardboard might melt in the heat or plywood might warp in the rain. But she said, “I tried to come up with a design that’s visually interesting but structurally simple.”

The rules state the team can’t build the sculpture in advance, and on the day of the event, Sablotsky is not allowed to touch the cans since the students have to do all the building. She also doesn’t know exactly how long it will take to build the structure, which will reach at least 8 feet high in some parts.

But even with all the variables and unknowns, Sablotsky said she is excited to do it.

“It’s more than the building, it’s also the giving back aspect,” she said.

For those interested in supporting the school and the students, Sablotsky has one request: “Wear purple. Show us your love.”

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