Gabrielle Egnater (’08) certainly proved her mettle as she spoke to the sixth-graders on Friday via Zoom about her work as a metal artist, and how her love of art began in Valerie’s class nearly 20 years ago. She distinctly remembers the Watts Towers project, a vital sculpting and 3D program that Valerie’s students still explore today!

After graduating from LES, Gabrielle went to Viewpoint for middle and high school, followed by college at the School of the Art Insitute of Chicago.

During her presentation to the sixth-graders, she shared a video and some photos of herself at work while explaining the applications and differences between melting and pouring aluminum, bronze, and iron.  Gabrielle even explained how she made her own cupola furnace to melt metal.

Currently, Gabrille works in a metal shop in Detroit, and her current art project is based on depicting objects of honor we find around the home, such as plaques and picture frames.  (In the photos, she can be seen wearing the orange hard hat).

Thank you, Gabrielle, for coming back to LES and sharing your expertise!   And remember, kids, you can’t spell aluminum without alumni!