Tom Lakenen of Harvey, MI created a one of a kind sculpture park just east of Marquette on M-28. It’s an ideal spot to visit anytime of year but especially when the snow flies. Whether you enter by car, snowmobile, or on snowshoes, folks of all ages will delight in the beauty of whimsical characters created from iron and steel. After a close examination of the art, you’ll enjoy the warmth of a bonfire on the weekends, cups of hot chocolate or coffee, and a friendly greeting from Tom and his family.
For readers unfamiliar with Tom’s 37 acre park, it’s well worth an afternoon drive or a winter snowmobile ride. Through his manipulation of metal, he designed a wonderland for young and old alike. Children will be amazed at the picnic table within a pink elephant made from steel. They’ll be intrigued by iron rods holding bowling balls that look like colorful lollipops growing out of a tree stump. Adults will be surprised there is no entrance or parking fee and will be awed at the fine craftsmanship of each piece. Expect the unexpected at this oasis of beauty tucked among the trees of Michigan’s central Upper Peninsula.
By trade, Tom is a boilermaker. I wondered how he discovered the artist within him and what gave him the idea for the creation of a phenomenal, one of a kind fantasy park. I asked him and he replied, “My wife, Lisa, gave me an ultimatum. I could stop going to the bar for a beer every night after work, get my act together and be the husband and father the family needed, or I could continue drinking and lose my family. I’d heard all this before, but this time I knew she meant it. I was at a crossroads and made the best decision of my life.
“I gave up the beer, but then I was faced with extra time on my hands especially during the off season when I was unemployed. I never considered myself an artist, but gradually I started welding together pieces of metal to pass the time. The more I welded, the more I realized I enjoyed what I was doing. It was a challenge taking pieces of what was considered junk and turning them into something unrecognizable from their original purpose. I still don’t call myself an artist, but people refer to my work as art.
“I use my skill as a welder to turn iron and steel into sculptures. In my line of work, it isn’t difficult to find scrap iron. On some of the jobs, we rip out literally semi-truck loads of iron. I always get permission before taking anything. Occasionally, I get stuff from people who are cleaning out their garage or clearing out old rusty farm machinery from the field behind their barn. One thing led to another and before long I was welding every free moment I had, and our front yard was dotted with colorful metal sculptures.
“I’ve made a 100 of them. Each is a lot of work. It’s a challenge to get them looking just the way I want. I work in my garage and have a trolley beam with several chain falls to lift the iron. Depending upon the intricacy of the piece, some, like the Three Lumberjacks, took about six months to complete. The Tasmanian Devil took only a couple of days, but the typical time from start to finish is about one week.
“They range in size from a few feet long to over 20 feet high. The average weight is about 500 pounds, but some can weigh up to two tons. When a piece is finished, I raise it with the chain fall and lower it onto my trailer made from scrap metal. Then I tow it eight miles from my home to the park. Sometimes I use a 1950 Oliver farm tractor to offload and sometimes a 1965 lineman’s truck with a hydraulic boom that’s the most awesome tool ever.
“Most of the sculptures are freestanding, but some are held in place with a pipe stuck in concrete. Others are kept upright due to scrap iron configurations I welded together. I leave some in their natural rusty state, and the rest are painted with an oil based metal paint. My mother, Pat Lakenen, helps with the painting. Rich Alholm is a great friend who lets me keep iron on his property. If not for him, I wouldn’t be able to collect the amount of scrap I have. Without the scrap there would be no Lakenenland.”
Tom does most of the sculpting in the middle of winter and summer, the down time from his job, but regardless of the season the protective clothing is the same. His tools are an oxygen and acetylene torch and an old 250 amp Airco stick welder. At one time, he had a hand-held plasma arc for cutting stainless steel and the hi-carbon wear plate. Although he uses mostly heavy iron from industrial job sites, he also uses things as odd as old boats, mix and match leftover asphalt shingles, and even bowling balls for the Lollipop sculpture.
Children love his interactive pieces. It isn’t unusual for a bus load of school kids to show up for a field trip. “Just seeing 50 or 100 children running around and having a blast really makes it worthwhile,” Tom said. “And there’s never a charge for admission. My philosophy is simple. I want everyone to enjoy the park so although there’s a donation box for maintenance, I’ll never charge a fee for entering. The park is here for all to see and enjoy. During the winter I keep the parking lot plowed. The sculpture road is a groomed snowmobile trail. It’s hard packed and easy walking.
“Winter is the busiest per day time at the park. As many as 200 snowmobiles go through on a single day when Trail 417 is good. I look forward to making new friends and welcoming back visitors from previous years. We gather around the bonfire circle and drink hot coffee. People want to know what I’m going to make next. The adults talk while the kids take their hot chocolate and roam the park.
“I’m a fortunate man,” he said. “I have a loving family and good friends. The park is my hobby. I make my living as a boilermaker and am grateful I’m always able to find employment. And the public response to Lakenenland has been incredible. In the beginning, I had concerns about theft and vandals, but I can leave the park unattended while I work on a job and come back to find it as I left it. No litter. No vandalism. Just lots of new signatures on the log book from folks all over the world who come to our area and visit my park. I often think if my wife hadn’t laid down the law all those years ago, I might still be sitting on a bar stool instead of sculpting metal, meeting interesting people, and creating a park that, hopefully will continue to bring pleasure to visitors throughout the coming years.”
So if you’re looking for something special to do this winter, look no farther than Lakenenland Sculpture Park. You won’t believe your eyes as you’re met by some of the wackiest looking characters this side of Hollywood. Tom doesn’t have time to make special orders and none of his pieces are for sale, but he gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the park and see his art. For more information on Lakenenland Sculpture Park, contact Tom at his website at https://lakenenland.com. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and make the park a regular stop any season of the year as you drive along the shore of Lake Superior heading towards Marquette.
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