Business : Vinton woman creating art from recycled metal

"I’ve always loved art," says June Stein, one of the newer participants in the Vinton Unlimited Holiday Open House. "I use to draw in my younger years." Now, June is creating a different kind of art: Metal art made from recycled items. The shop of her rural Vinton home is now also the home of Unique Metal Artwork. "Metal Art has always fascinated me,but I knew nothing about welding," says June, who welcomed dozens of visitors to her shop during Sunday's open house event. "Kirkwood was offering a 6-week welding course for every Saturday, which seemed like for ever." Now, says June, she's been welding her art for two years, and recently has begun experimenting with a plasma cutter. June's web site describes her artistic journey: "An artist her whole life, June primarily focused on drawing until the pivotal moment a few years ago when she saw a scrap iron sculpture. The idea of recycling and repurposing metal into art ignited a new passion and she began the journey to expand her artistic talents beyond the usual. After a welding class gave her the technical tools and knowledge, June set out on junk-finding missions to local auto and bike shops, farms, garages, and anywhere she could find metal. Steel, aluminum, stainless, nuts and bolts, tractor parts, springs, gears, fire extinguishers, fans, you name it...if it is metal, and outlived its intended purpose, June brings it back to life in unique juxtapositions as art." Although she's usually only open by appointment, Jill plans holiday hours each Saturday through Christmas. She will welcome customers from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday from Nov. 24 through Dec. 22. You can see more of June's artwork at her web site, www.uniquemetalartwork.com. See her Facebook page HERE. For more information, email june at uniquemetalartwork@gmail.com or call 319-551-9625.