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Wisconsin Metal Sculptures

COREYF

New member
Scattered throughout the Wisconsin countryside you'll come across scrap metal "people", "animals", "dinosaurs", etc.... I don't know if this man is the inspiration of those or not, but you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to this free (contributions accepted) art park located along Highway 12 between Baraboo and the Wisconsin Dells (and not too far from the 2007 National Rally site). I believe he may sell small "creations".

One of my favorite parts of September's Dell's Rally is making the short trip to Baraboo and seeing the fields full of Tom Every's metal sculptures in the 'art park' next to Delaney's Surplus. It was an alternate destination on the self guided tours this year, and well worth it for anyone visiting that area. According to an article in the display area, Tom started salvage and scrapping as a business while still in high school. Although he's now elderly, he loves to save items from the scrap heap and look at them in a 'new light'.

I spent some time talking to him Saturday, as he sat in his wheelchair and chipped rust off of bits of metal to be used in future creations. It pleased him a great deal that I recognized some of the items used in his creations. He talked of saving items from our country's industrial revolution, the disposable nature of today's society, and of the history behind items within his creations. One of the largest pieces, probably 40 feet tall and 100 feet long, includes what looks like telescopes and ray guns pointed skyward, large electric motors, "control panels", etc.... The sculpture includes a gigantic Chicago Pneumatic air compressor (probably 20 ft tall and 30 feet long) salvaged from an old factory, huge electric motors from a hydroelectric plant, "gauges" made of the heads of industrial weight scales, huge electric power insulators, and a large stainless steel decontamination chamber from approx 1968/1969 which was part of the chambers the Apollo astronauts lived in for 8 days after returning to the earth (in case they might have been infected with some strange organisms). Other sculptures include 'birds and insects' with round, survey markers incorporated in their eyes, and clown heads with liftable "craniums" from an old hat press.

I apologize for the poor quality pics, my camera and the weather didn't cooperate, but hopefully they will give you an slight idea of the wonders of the place. (Only one pic per post, so sorry for the multiple posts.)

Definitely another reason to put Wisconsin high on your list of places to ride, and another great place to visit during the National Rally in 2007.
 

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another pic

Apollo decontamination chamber (stainless steel cylinder-looking thing)
 

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I'm glad that you posted some pics of this. Thank you. I had planned to stop there on my way home from the Dells Rally but it was raining and I bagged the stop, taking the interstate south instead. I've definitely got this place on my list for the next time I'm in Wisconsin, which hopefully will be before next year's national rally.
 
I love metal art
 

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On my return trip from the national, I discovered two things. One is that Ford is 20 miles east of Dodge along US-400 in Kansas.

The other is that on the western edge of Ford is this "sculpture park":

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I guess I've been there, too, Dave:

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Note the prices for gas. At the time -- Y2K -- it seemed very expensive!
 
From Santa

Jim Klas sent me this photo, from his touring pictures of Wisconsin. I love this shot: dinosaurs with the cows.
 

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Somewhere between Mt. Horeb and Spring Green:
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Very near Spring Green. Hard to make out the details in this photo, but imagine a huge pre-fab building filled with one giant metal sculpture consisting of organ pipes, dynamos, brewing kettles, wheels, spiral stairs, walkways connecting multiple levels, pipes, gauges, and God knows what else, all connected into something like a nightmare from Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. This is the Organ Room at The House On The Rock:
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