BID ON SILENT AUCTION HERE
 

MONUMETAL REFORGED 2026

MonuMetal began as a community fundraiser back in 2012; local metal artists digging through piles of iron, transforming industrial remnants into monumental public art auctioned off to help save the Queen Theatre.

Steephollow Forgeworks Combo-Demo was a decade long annual blacksmithing gathering hosted by Alan & Jeff Lee at their shop with the last one being in February of 2020. This wonderful family friendly event was made up of live demos, metal art vendors, iron smelt, live music, & live and silent auctions.

In 2026, they return — reforged.

MONUMETAL: REFORGED

April 24–26 | Downtown Bryan

There’s something powerful about fire, steel, music, and community coming together.

MonuMetal: Reforged is a weekend-long, family-friendly celebration where art, performance, and hands-on experiences connect artists, students, and the public. From monumental sculpture to live blacksmithing, music, and immersive art, this is a festival rooted in creativity, craftsmanship, and community.

FOUR EXPERIENCES. ONE WEEKEND.

⚒️ MonuMetal Found Object Sculpture Competition

Explore a collection of large-scale sculptures created from reclaimed metal by participating artists and teams.

All works are designed and built off-site and submitted by April 22, then installed for public exhibition throughout the weekend. Guests are invited to experience these monumental pieces up close with the opportunity to bid on our online silent auction, with proceeds supporting both the artists and future creative programming.

Competition Honoring the work of Dr. Joe Smith

This year’s silent auction includes three original sculptures by Dr. Joe Carlyle Smith (1921–2016), generously donated from his family’s personal collection. A longtime physician in Caldwell and a self-taught metal sculptor, Dr. Smith transformed scrap and cast-off materials into powerful abstract works that became a quiet but lasting part of the Brazos Valley landscape. His sculptures can be found across the region, including at Texas A&M and throughout Caldwell, with his iconic Eternal Winds standing along Texas Avenue in College Station.

These pieces offer a rare opportunity to take home a part of his legacy—one rooted in creativity, resilience, and a deep connection to community.

🔥 Blacksmithing Combo Demo & Community Art Project

Feel the heat and rhythm of live blacksmithing as master smiths and the next generation of makers work side by side.

This year marks the return of the Steephollow Forgeworks Combo Demo—a beloved gathering that brought blacksmiths together for over a decade—and is held in honor of Carlton Lee, whose legacy continues to shape the downtown Bryan community.

In partnership with the Texas A&M Aggie Blacksmithing Club, this demonstration is both a tribute and an invitation—bridging generations through shared craft and knowledge.

Together, they will be creating a topographical map of Texas, forged from hand-made nails crafted on-site throughout the weekend. This one-of-a-kind community piece will be auctioned following the event.

Guests of all ages are invited to take part in a leaf-making experience—a chance to try blacksmithing firsthand. Take your leaf home, or “leaf” it with us to become part of a growing community tree sculpture built by many hands over the course of the festival.

MonuMetal Blacksmithing Demo Schedule

Community Forge Project: A Topographic Map of Texas

Throughout the weekend, members of the Aggie Blacksmithing Club at Texas A&M University will work alongside experienced Texas blacksmiths, like Cowboy-Peter Szymanski of Phenix Knives out of Bellville, to create a one-of-a-kind collaborative piece.

This year’s Community Forge Project is a topographic map of Texas, created using hand-forged nails set into wood.

🔨 The Community Forge (Ongoing All Weekend)

Under a dedicated forge tent, nails will be made continuously throughout the entire festival—one nail at a time.

Each nail is individually hand-forged on site, then added to the growing map. As the weekend unfolds, these nails will form the elevation lines of the Texas landscape, creating a sculptural map built entirely by hand.

This process is steady, rhythmic, and communal—an open invitation to watch the transformation of raw steel into something lasting.

🔥 Live Blacksmithing Demonstrations

Held nearby throughout the day

While the Community Forge is always active, featured blacksmiths will also lead scheduled demonstrations showcasing a range of techniques, styles, and approaches to the craft.

Saturday – Demonstrations

10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Morning Demonstration
Led by Alan Lee and Jeff Lee
Traditional blacksmithing techniques and live forging demonstrations

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Lunch Break and Live Auction Programming

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Afternoon Demonstration
Led by Thomas Shumate

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Afternoon Demonstration
Led by Joe Haden

Sunday – Demonstrations

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Morning Demonstration
Aggie Blacksmithing Club and guest smiths

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch Break

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Final Demonstrations and Closing Work

Silent Auction Feature

By the end of the weekend, hundreds of nails—each forged on site—will come together to form a single, unified work.

The completed topographic map of Texas will be featured in the Silent Auction, offering attendees the opportunity to take home a powerful symbol of craftsmanship, collaboration, and community.

The Meaning Behind the Work

This project is more than a demonstration—it is a shared act of creation.

At any given moment, one forge is quietly producing the building blocks of the piece—one nail at a time—while nearby, master smiths demonstrate the broader artistry of the craft.

Students and experienced blacksmiths work side by side, passing down knowledge while contributing to something larger than any one person. Each nail represents a moment, a hand, a strike of effort.

The final piece is not just a map of Texas—it is a record of the people who built it, together.

🎶 Hullapalooza Student Music Festival

Hullapalooza is a student-led music festival presented by the TAMUSIC student organization, showcasing local students and community musicians performing throughout the weekend.

With a mix of styles and voices, Hullapalooza brings energy, creativity, and a strong sense of place—highlighting the talent growing right here in our community.

🌿 Floriography: An Immersive Performance Experience

April 24 & 25 | 7:00–9:00 PM | The Kimbell

Step into an evening of music, interactive art, robotics, and dance inside the Kimbell, one of Downtown Bryan’s most unique creative spaces.

Floriography is an immersive, moving performance experience that guides audiences through a series of environments—each one alive with sound, movement, and visual discovery. Featuring live violin, marimba, vibraphone, looping, projected visuals, robotic floral installations, and choreographed performance, the evening unfolds in chapters rather than from a stage. Featuring TAMU PVFA Faculty and Students, the evening is guaranteed to wow

Atmospheric, inventive, and deeply collaborative, Floriography offers a one-of-a-kind artistic journey in Downtown Bryan during Art Fair weekend.

🍽️ FOOD & DRINK PARTNERS

No great gathering is complete without something good to eat and drink.

We’re proud to partner with C&J Barbeque and Blackwater Draw Brewing Co. to help fuel the weekend.

From classic Texas barbecue to locally crafted beer, these partners bring the kind of flavor and hospitality that make time spent together even better. Whether you’re taking a break between experiences or settling in to enjoy the music and atmosphere, there will be something here to gather around.

A WEEKEND FOR EVERYONE

MonuMetal: Reforged is designed to be family-friendly, accessible, and community-centered.

Whether you’re:

  • Exploring large-scale sculpture

  • Watching sparks fly at the forge

  • Making your own piece of art

  • Listening to live music

  • Experiencing immersive performance

  • Or sharing a meal with friends and family

You’re part of what makes this weekend special.

JOIN US

Downtown Bryan
April 24–26

Come be part of something forged by many hands—
and shaped by community.

 

CALL FOR Found Art Sculpture teams

Applications Open: February 2026. There is no application fee or cost for a team to participate.
We encourage metal art enthusiasts of all degrees of experience to participate.

Selected teams will gather in early March at Bryan Iron & Metal for an organized scrap collection event. You must provide your own truck for collection and transport to your own shop for assembly. There is no cost for scrap collection.

From there:

  • Teams will fabricate their sculptures independently in their own studios or shops.

  • Completed works must be delivered to The Kimbell Building by April 20, 2026.

  • All sculptures will be publicly exhibited throughout the full weekend of the Downtown Bryan Street & Art Fair.

MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Ferrous metals only (scrap iron)

  • No copper, brass, aluminum, or high-value resale materials

  • Work must be structurally sound for outdoor public display

MonuMetal celebrates creation & transformation — not commodity value.

SIZE & HANDLING REQUIREMENTS

To ensure safe installation and equitable participation:

  • Maximum weight: 500 pounds

  • Sculpture must be able to be safely moved using a pallet jack

  • Base must allow fork or pallet access

  • Artists are responsible for safe transport and delivery

If it can’t move on a pallet jack, it’s too big.

AUCTION & ARTIST SHARE

All sculptures will be auctioned during the festival weekend.

  • 50% of the final sale price will return directly to the artist/team

  • 50% supports event production and future Kimbell programming

A People’s Favorite Award will also be presented.

This structure honors both sustainability and artist equity.

Apply Here by March 8th- https://forms.gle/a5P6oLz4zWWurAwi9

CALL FOR BLACKSMITHING DEMONSTRATORS

Live Demonstrations – Saturday, April 25th, 2026 | 10am–4pm
The Kimbell Building | Downtown Bryan

Alongside the monumental sculpture exhibition, MonuMetal: Reforged will feature live blacksmithing demonstrations — honoring the craft traditions that shaped our region.

Presented in partnership with Steephollow Forgeworks, this gathering draws inspiration from the beloved Combo-Demo hosted for over a decade by Alan and Jeff Lee, with the final event held in February 2020.

The Kimbell is honored to host a blacksmithing demonstration that rekindles the spirit of connection, craftsmanship, and shared learning experienced in Combo-Demos past.

We invite experienced blacksmiths to demonstrate:

• Forging techniques
• Tool making
• Decorative and functional ironwork
• Educational demonstrations for the public

Demonstrators will collaborate with regional smiths and invited partners.

We are also offering metal art vendors a spot at the event in return for a silent auction item.

Apply here for demonstration and/or metal art vending https://forms.gle/aBy9kZcq34SFBKQA6