〽️A Metal Art Event Worth Knowing About After FABTECH 2026
FABTECH is one of the biggest events on the calendar for welding, fabrication and manufacturing, but some of the most interesting opportunities around the show happen outside the convention floor.
The Metal Artist Collective is one of those opportunities.
The group is bringing together metal artists and fabricators around FABTECH 2026 in Las Vegas, with Kevin Stone Metal Art among the artists involved. Kevin is known for massive stainless steel sculptures and projects that push welding, forming, fabrication and finishing far beyond what most people think of as a typical welding project. His work includes enormous animal sculptures and other large scale metal artwork. VidMaestro
Follow the Metal Artist Collective on Instagram
Why This Is Interesting for Welders
You don't have to be a metal artist to get something out of an event like this.
Actually, that's part of what makes it interesting.
A fabrication shop might look at a project and see welding, cutting, forming and finishing. A metal artist might look at the same material and see something completely different.
That crossover can be valuable.
You may see a fabrication technique you could use in your own shop. You might meet another artist who becomes a customer or collaborator. You could find someone who needs a fabricator for a future project.
Or you might simply walk away with a new idea.
Kevin Stone's work is a good example of how far welding and fabrication skills can take you when you combine them with design and creativity. His studio describes its work as combining forming, welding and polishing to create monumental metal sculptures. VidMaestro
There Is a Business Lesson Here Too
This is where I think events like this fit perfectly into what we've been talking about with FABTECH.
Don't only network with people who do exactly what you do.
If you're a mobile welder, meet fabricators.
If you're a fabrication shop, meet artists.
If you're a metal artist, meet manufacturers.
If you're a welding creator, meet all of them.
Your next opportunity doesn't necessarily come from someone who needs the exact service you currently advertise.
It could come from someone who needs something you haven't even considered offering yet.
And Don't Forget the Social Media Opportunity
If you're attending FABTECH, events like this also give you something else...
Content.Content.Content.Content.Content.
Take photos. Make a Reel. Talk about something interesting you saw. Introduce the people you meet. Show your followers what exists outside your own shop.
You don't need to turn every event into an advertisement.
Sometimes simply showing people what you're learning and who you're meeting is enough to make your business more interesting.
And if you consistently document those experiences, you end up with a library of content that shows customers, manufacturers and potential collaborators that you're active in the industry.
What This Means for Your Business
If you're going to FABTECH 2026, don't build your entire trip around the convention center.
Look at what is happening around the event.
Find artists, fabricators, manufacturers, creators and businesses you wouldn't normally encounter.
Then introduce yourself.
Today's 5 Minute Task:
Go check out the Metal Artist Collective and Kevin Stone Metal Art before FABTECH.
Find one project that catches your attention and leave a genuine comment.
Not "Awesome!"
Tell them what you actually like about the project.
That's networking... and it takes about five minutes.
Slag Tag Media Takeaway
FABTECH can introduce you to new equipment.
Events like this can introduce you to new people.
And sometimes the person you meet outside the convention center ends up being more valuable to your business than the machine you saw inside.
Keep your eyes open.
There is a lot more happening in the welding and fabrication world than what's printed on a booth sign.
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