MUSKEGON, Mich. — A giant sculpture called The Portal was just installed in downtown Muskegon along shoreline drive welcoming visitors to the city. It has an interesting link to the city's past.
Standing at just over 41 feet tall with 12.5 tons of steel, The Portal defiantly catches your eye.
“I was worried at first that it might be too small because an outdoor space would just eat it up. But I think it's working,” said artist Lee Brown.
The sculpture is part of the Muskegon City Public Art Initiative.
“I had submitted a few designs, and they chose this one,” said Brown.
The Portal was designed and built entirely in Muskegon by Brown. He said, “Everything from fabrication to electric to earth, moving to concrete to sandblasting, everything local.”
This is the largest sculpture that Brown has built.
“I started out thinking about symbols of unity and hope and so anything from a wedding ring to rings in a tree and the industrial past the Muskegon,” said Brown.
The site is near where factories that at one time made piston rings for engines.
“It's a nod to the history, and, you know, a look towards the future,” said Brown.
The sculpture has 38 LED lights built inside the ring so viewing it at night will be a different experience from daytime.
"So you get a nice kind of glow around the inside of it, and then there's some up lighting that washes the face of it too so you still see the metal," said Brown.
He says the piece has been getting positive feedback and is overwhelmed knowing it will last for generations, saying, “I hope it becomes an iconic spot ... that people want to come visit.”
Muskegon will dedicate The Portal next Monday, Sept. 9 at 4:40. Brown will be there, and the public is welcome to attend.
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