The Margaret Harwell Art Museum is excited to welcome steel sculptor Jessie Cargas, starting with a reception from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, June 4.
Cargas is a St. Louis-based welder known for her bright, abstract metal sculptures. Visitors to MHAM will already be familiar with her work — her piece “Galaxy” came to Poplar Bluff through the Art on the Move program in 2019 and the gallery decided to buy it.
“We decided we really liked that piece and so that’s been in our garden ever since,” said Museum Director Steve Whitworth.
Cargas began welding in her 40s and explained she had no art background prior to that. She taught science and math for years before chancing upon metal scraps from a welding class at her trade school.
“I thought, there’s something there. And I started putting pieces together and I got interested in welding, and took it from there,” she said.
Geometry often plays a role in her compositions, which according to her artist’s statement “represent what is real and what is conceptual.” She cuts sheets of steel into triangles, squares, ellipses and more before twisting them together. The final product is always different than her original idea, and Cargas finds she likes the unpredictability.
“The metal has a life of its own,” she said, adding, “That’s the fun of it, really.”
Cargas usually finishes her pieces in polyurethane, paint, patina or powder coat. This show will feature an uncoated piece which she described as “risky” compared to her previous work.
“It’s about a 7-foot-1, that is pretty different than what I’ve done. You will just have to come out and see it,” she said.
She also made several pieces especially for this show. Whitworth noted this viewing will combine her abstract forms with Caleb Knodell’s oil paintings, which remain on display from last show.
“She has swirling, twisty sculptures that are quite nice and Caleb’s artwork is very complimentary of those,” he said.
Given her past contribution to the city and MHAM in particular, Whitworth is glad for the chance to celebrate her work.
“(There was) just a small crowd when she did the installation. So now she’ll get to meet more people from Poplar Bluff who support the arts and support her,” he said.
Cargas owns Weld Made Art Works, LLC, which can be found at weldmadeart.com.
MHAM is located at 421 N. Main St. More information is available at mham.org or by calling 573-686-8002.