CONTACT: Cristina Rodriguez
Executive Director
314-561-6625
[email protected]
Oakridge, OR – SO Metal LLC won a Gold award in the 2024 Ernest Wiemann Top Job Competition for outstanding craftsmanship administered by the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA). The Top Job contest is a peer-judged competition named after NOMMA past president, Ernest Wiemann to honor outstanding work.
SO Metal, LLC received the following award(s): Gold, Category Q: Art/Sculpture
The award winners were announced at NOMMA’s 2024 Awards Announcement on January 25, 2024. To win an award, entrants must submit photos and a description of their work. This material is then publicly displayed in a publication where NOMMA members then vote. Winning a Top Job award has special meaning, since it represents a “voice of approval” from industry peers.
About the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA)
NOMMA is the trade association of the ornamental and miscellaneous metalworking industry. Founded in 1958, our members fabricate everything from beautiful railings and driveway gates to structural and industrial products. Whether it’s a backyard garden gate or large commercial railing, our members are ready to turn your concept into a reality.
To learn more about NOMMA and see the full list of Top Job winners, visit www.nomma.org/topjob.
About the artist and the prize-wining piece
The Knight (unofficially the world’s largest), pays homage to some of humankind’s superpowers—the majesty of the horse, fire, iron, stone, bronze, and, of course, hydraulic power! In the game of chess, the knight is the only piece whose movement (and representation as a horse) has remained unchanged for over a millennium. Shapes in the steel plates recall the techniques used to produce wooden chess pieces– a round base and hand-carved head.
The piece was designed by Joe Mross and Matt Burney and constructed by SO Metal LLC from 2022-2023. Joe Mross handmade the molds for the bronze portholes and they were cast by Reinmuth Foundry in Eugene, Oregon. One stone on the bench has an inlaid bronze placard with the artists’ names.
Diameter at base: 9 feet
Weight: ~ 6 tons
No. of plates: +100
No. of rivets: ~ 2000
Thickest plate: ½”
Thinnest plate: 3/16″
Thickness of stone: 6″
No. of stones: 20
No. portholes: 5
Hours to build: 1600
Finish: Boiled linseed oil
George Custer lives in Oakridge with his wife Sayre. George is a former smokejumper from his hometown of Cave Junction, a former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. and ran a construction company in Southern California. George assumed the volunteer duties as the Editor of the Highway 58 Herald in 2022. He loves riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, building all things wood, and playing drums on the weekends in his office.
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