Jonah Graf

Jonah Graf has been sculpting metal art in Topeka, Kansas, since 2012. Jonah Graf has a unique passion for nature. He sees the world with keen inspiration and loves creating his art from what nature provides. His material resources for creating his art can be from recycling centers, scrap metal repositories, and rescued metal parts on the street before the garbage day. Using those materials, Jonah Graf transforms them into sculptures of Kansas wheat, corn, flowers, dogs, birds, and much more because he believes he links one form of nature to another expression of nature, and he is not only performing art but also benefiting the community.

• Jonah can bring complete works of recycled sculpture art and describe his process of planning and building each piece to help understand the metallurgical process.
• Workshop on his artistic process of sculpture art at a welding facility or a school with an adequate welding environment.

Design and Community Engagement:

$500 for first 3 hrs, $250 an hr after.

Sculpture build using recycled materials:

$250 an hr.

Artist talk or workshop:

$400 an hr.

Travel fee:

67 cents per mile.

Board and Lodging:

$150 per night.

Food:

$75 per day.

Flexible for scheduling artist talk at a workshop, but please allow a minimum of one month for the physical build of sculpture art.

Kansas Wheat Background: As one wheat berry planted will yield 110 berries on five stalks, 22 heads per stalk, the Kansas Wheat Jonah Graf built has exactly 110 individual berries, tack-welded together in rows of 22. The heads bend to give the impression that they are heavy and ready to harvest. Each head was given a bent stalk of rebar and welded together at the base to create one plant from 110 pieces. The Kansas Wheat was then cleaned and painted light yellow to preserve the metal from rust. Upon completing the piece, he “planted” the wheat in the ground at the NOTO Arts District in Topeka for all Kansans to enjoy.

Three Sisters Art Piece Background: In Indigenous American “companion planting,” corn, pumpkin, and beans are planted in the same mound. As they grow together and on top of each other, they protect each other from pests, bugs, and fungi. This process allows them to grow in perfect symbiosis and achieve a bountiful harvest. Three Sisters exemplifies the spirit of the miracle created by the great nature.

The Three Sisters were exhibited three times:

1st: He was commissioned to make the piece for the show “The Three Sisters” to display at Morris Art Gallery in the NOTO Arts & Entertainment Building.

2nd: The exhibition at Art Love Collective in Lawrence, Kansas. He also did his first artist talk, describing his creative process in making the piece.

3rd: The most recent exhibition was at the Daun Contemporary Museum of Art in Sedalia, Missouri, as part of their artist show “Feast,” which showcased food in various artistic forms.