The Village of Dimondale has unveiled its first commissioned work of public art.
The piece evokes an image of the community’s earliest days.
Thursday afternoon found metalsmith Ivan Iler securing in place his new steel sculpture, Bridge Between Banks.
Set in three layers of quarter-inch steel spaced at intervals, the piece symbolizes a late 19th century bridge that carried horses and carts across the Grand River.
Iler says he wanted its design to convey a three-dimensional sense of motion.
“And then as you drive by it, especially because it’s sitting at a 45 degree angle to the corner, you’ll actually see the different layers kind of shifting as you go by,” Iler said.
Iler says an old photograph of the bridge from 1907 inspired him to create an aesthetic that conveys a strong sense of place.
“I’ve seen images of that bridge and photos of that bridge even in places just around town,” he said. “So, I think that it’s very much in the spirit of the town and where it’s been and where it’s going.”
Iler’s sculpture, Bridge Between Banks, is located in the small pocket park at South Bridge Street and East Jefferson Avenue.
A second public art installation will be unveiled in Dimondale later this year, and officials hope to add a mural in the future.