Handcrafted by GTCC students, 6-foot “FOLK” letters debut at NC Folk Festival

“The students were able to bring this from an idea to a palpable reality, and now their work will be at the NC Folk Festival for everyone to see,” said Zeb Downey, GTCC welding instructor.

Today, GTCC’s welding students and staff delivered handcrafted, 6-foot-tall metal “FOLK” letters to serve as a focal point for the upcoming NC Folk Festival.

Since the beginning of summer, GTCC welding students have worked together to design and construct a large-scale metal installation spelling “FOLK.” The project took 10 weeks to complete with the support of 12 students ranging in age from 17 to 30.

“The students were able to bring this from an idea to a palpable reality, and now their work will be at the NC Folk Festival for everyone to see,” said Zeb Downey, GTCC welding instructor. The project gave students real-world experience in teamwork, precision, problem-solving and the safe handling of oversized metal components.

Each letter is about 6 feet tall by 3 feet wide and weighs about 600 pounds, making the project both a large-scale fabrication challenge and a hands-on learning experience. Over about 100 hours, students applied welding, metalworking, layout and fabrication techniques while learning how to safely construct, move and assemble large, heavy structures.

“When we were thinking about how we could reach out to the community and show the best of Greensboro and Guilford County, GTCC rose to the top,” said Jodee Ruppel, NC Folk Festival executive director and chief development officer. “The programs here are amazing, and we’ve had a longstanding partnership with GTCC from the beginning. Taking it a step further by giving this project to GTCC students is exciting. This will be a public art piece that lives on, and the students’ legacy will be seen for years.”

In addition to this project, GTCC electrical systems and entertainment technology students will lend their talents at the NC Folk Festival, helping with installation and breakdown for the music stages, as well as running sound and lighting during the event.