Stone to Steel

Terry Westra’s first sculpture was created using pipes from his dock. After inheriting his father’s welding equipment, he taught himself to weld—and never stopped. His son has since followed in his footsteps, also creating art from scrap metal.

While living in Grand Rapids in the 1970s, Westra witnessed the installation of La Grande Vitesse by Alexander Calder. Calder’s work inspired him to create his first sculptures, mobiles, and stabiles.

One of Westra’s favorite parts of the creative process? Visiting local scrap yards. He often found unexpected inspiration in discarded objects, discovering unique textures, surfaces, and forms that would become central to his work. He embraced the idea that “scrap is beautiful,” a phrase coined by Louis Padnos of Louis Padnos Iron and Metal Co., and it became his personal mantra.

Today, Westra builds what he calls metal collages—works constructed from pieces and shapes carefully selected from his own ever-growing scrap pile.

The challenges of bringing together a number of scraps to create a piece that works as a whole is difficult yet satisfying to Westra. “A piece of metal has to talk to me,” he says. Only then does it become part of something new.