Artist: Dale Wedig

Wedig conceived the Courthouse Gates as part of a public art competition, winning the outdoor sculpture component. His design of interwoven curvilinear elements sought to complement the building’s existing architecture while also remaining true to the materials and construction techniques of the Courthouse building. Produced by himself over the course of a single summer, Dale fabricated the gates by combining hand forged and welded steel with Marquette raindrop sandstone. When asked recently about the work, he said, “after all these years, I still think it is a good design.”

Fun fact: Wedig delivered the gates as a single piece down Third Street on an early September morning with a police escort from NMU’s campus. It was carried up the stairs by Dale and a group of friends from Northern’s weight room…no crane was required.

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