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It’s All for a Good Cause
8 November 2022
At Stramit, we encourage our people to live the Fletcher Building values both in and outside of the workplace. Meet Nathan Kliese, AKA ‘Cowboy’, a Production Supervisor at our Crestmead facility – a great example of ‘being bold’ and supporting those around us.
It turns out Cowboy is a magician in his spare time. Not the rabbit out of a hat kind, but the type that turns discarded materials into a piece of art – and then sells it to help those in need.
Cowboy has turned a passion for steel-based artworks into a thriving side project that has managed to raise over $1650 this calendar year alone for a range of worthy causes. Creating masterpieces out of Stramit steel off-cuts, Cowboy is making the world a better place one artwork at a time.
Chatting with Nathan recently, he listed a range of great causes that have or about to benefit from his artistic donations, including the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Charlie Teo Foundation.
“I recently donated a guitar made from Stramit® off-cuts and other materials, which was signed by Troy Cassar-Daley and some other well-known music artists.
“That was auctioned off for the Drought Angels and raised over $1400 for farmers who have been impacted by drought, floods, fire, plagues and mental health challenges in recent years.
“I also made a metal kangaroo in a cookpot installation for the Gympie Muster Queensland as part of their ‘Roo in a Stew’ display for the 40th Anniversary of the Gympie Muster Music festival. It now permanently resides at the Gympie Music Muster Museum.
Cowboy’s artworks are such a hit, he’s now planning a workshop shed for his metal working on his new property, so that he can expand and start doing more with his talents.
“I have the spot picked out and am now looking into the design of the shed – I can’t wait to have a bigger space that works well for this sort of thing.
“I’m constantly getting asked for artworks – some small and some quite large – I once made over 100 metal poppies for Remembrance Day and received more orders than I could fill,” he said.
Cowboy is looking at creating another masterpiece, this time for the Cancer Council, in support of Breast Cancer awareness. Further information about Cowboy’s artworks and charity efforts is available from https://m.facebook.com/nathkliese/ and Instagram @CowboyNathansCreations.
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