TUSCOLA, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Driving around in Tuscola, it’s hard to miss a large 12-foot-tall Jim Ned Indian sculpture. Tall enough that local residents, like Karen Mast, pull over on the side of the road to take a closer look.

“When I drive by, I go like ooo. I think one time said he (the artist) just scraps of metal and stuff and that is so awesome,” said Mast.

The artist Brian Springer said his kids go to Jim Ned ISD. He shared that West Texas is known for its sports, so as a way to show off that school pride, he built the sculpture.

“Wylie doesn’t have one, Cooper doesn’t have one. They may have their own statue mascots, but nobody has a scrap metal 12-foot Indian nobody has any scrap metal art,” added Springer.

The statue is made entirely out of scrap metal that otherwise would have ended up in the landfill. Springer collects the pieces from local friends or random pieces he finds himself. For the Indian sculpture project, he lost count of how many pieces it took to create.

“I have no idea, it’s a lot of little pieces to go sorting through and finding the right one that fits,” said Springer.

It took more than 200 hours to complete the project, but with the help of his son Cameron, who is a junior at the high school, he was able to get it done.

“He just told me he needed some help after doing it for a while, it got pretty fun… It’s pretty easy. It’s like putting a puzzle together,” shared Cameron.

Springer said all the hours were worth it. He enjoys seeing the community stop by to admire the finished piece.

“There’s a lot of people slowing down and pulling over and taking pictures. That’s why I originally put it on Facebook on the Tuscola community page and was like ‘Hey, it’s alright if you pull over and take pictures,'” expressed Springer.

The sculpture will be donated to Jim Ned ISD. The school board will decide where it will be placed on campus and Cameron is excited to contribute a piece of art to his school.