Statue to be cast at Smithville, Texas, Omega Foundry
Texas-grown artist Stephen Zabel, shown on left with his partner, is a graduate from Smithville High. He learned his craft locally – at Bastrop’s Deep in the Heart Art Foundry, where he worked for 10 years before opening his own foundry in Smithville. He was the general manager at Deep in the Heart and then a part owner there for six years. He joined Ben McKay and they opened Omega Foundry in 2012. They have done prior work with Artist Sandra Van Zandt and the Texas State Preservation Board.