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.
The Kimbell is honored to host the return of the combo demo and are excited to recreate the feeling of connection and artistry experienced in combo demos of the past. Don't miss this one of a kind gathering of blacksmiths, knife makers, jewelers, and metal enthusiasts of all stripes.
The event is free and family friendly.
The found art sculpture contest, Monumetal invites artists, welders, fabricators, and creative teams to participate in a revived celebration of material, muscle, and imagination. Teams of artists are invited to create sculptures from scrap metal donated by and collected at Bryan Iron & Metal. The sculptures will be created this spring and put on display during the blacksmithing combo demo & the Downtown Street & Art Fair. The artists will be available for purchase by silent auction with 50% of the proceeds going to the event and 50% of the proceeds going back to the artists.
This celebration of metal art is a tribute to Carlton Joseph Lee. Son of Alan & Jan Lee, a proud blacksmith, a past MonuMetal participant and a long-time member of the Downtown Bryan arts community.
Though his life was cut short; his spirit remains present in the sparks, in the steel, in the buildings of Downtown Bryan, and in the strength of the community he helped shape.
In honoring him, we are not looking backward.
We are forging forward… together.
Artist Theme/DIRECTION is Connection & Community
This theme invites artists to explore how separate pieces become whole — and how individuals become something stronger together.
In welding, connection is literal fusion.
In sculpture, connection is structural interdependence.
In community, connection is shared effort, shared space, shared purpose.
No part stands alone. Every piece matters.
CALL FOR ARTISTS
Found Object Scrap Metal Sculpture Competition
Downtown Bryan, Texas
Exhibition during the Downtown Bryan Street & Art Fair
HOW IT WORKS
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.
Apply Here by March 8th- https://forms.gle/a5P6oLz4zWWurAwi9
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.
A People’s Favorite Award will also be presented.
This structure honors both sustainability and artist equity.
WHY MONUMETAL?
Exhibit during one of Downtown Bryan’s largest arts weekends
Showcase your work to collectors and thousands of visitors
Reclaim industrial material as cultural expression
Be part of the return of a legacy event
MonuMetal is not just about scrap metal.
It’s about what a community can build when industry and art shake hands.
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CALL FOR BLACKSMITHING DEMONSTRATORS & VENDORS
Live Demonstrations – Sunday, April 26, 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
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION
The monumental sculptures exhibited during the Street & Art Fair are created in advance by selected teams.
The blacksmithing portion is live, educational, and experiential — bringing fire, hammer, and anvil into direct public view.
One is presentation.
The other is process.
Together, they tell the full story.
