New Lenox Sculptor's ScrapFest Entry Pays Tribute To Roots Of Industrial Revolution

NEW LENOX, IL — A New Lenox-based metal artist and custom fabricator is bringing the heavy, industrial grit of midwestern history to Michigan this July.

Competing in the signature sculpture category at Old Town ScrapFest 16 July 10–11 in Lansing, Michigan, Ron Dyrcz has unveiled "Spark of the Rust," a metal sculpture that traces the literal lifelines of the American Industrial Revolution back to the historic pocket ore docks of Marquette, Michigan.

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While born, raised, and currently operating out of New Lenox, Dyrcz says his artistic vision has long been captured by the landscape and raw industrial heritage of Northern Michigan—a region he dreams of one day calling home. "Spark of the Rust" is a physical manifestation of that obsession, using discarded steel to tell a story of transformation, labor, and foundational American industry.

"Everyone knows the story of midwestern steel towns and automotive hubs, but those engines couldn't run without the iron ore shipped out of Marquette," said Dyrcz, solo operator of Ronders Wood & Metal Works. "That pocket dock was the spark. To take scrap metal collected right here in Michigan and weld it into a tribute to the raw power of the Upper Peninsula's history feels like bridging my current reality with my future aspirations."

The sculpture was built over an intense one-month period following ScrapFest’s official material collection day in May, where artists were challenged to scavenge raw scrap metal from Friedland Industries. Dyrcz transformed the discarded industrial remnants into an intricate, textured narrative piece that honors the heavy labor of the past while showcasing modern fabrication techniques.

"Spark of the Rust" will be on public display on Turner Road in Old Town Lansing starting Friday, July 10, at 5 p.m. The piece will be juried during the festival and will be available to the public via silent auction, which closes at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 11.

Artist's Story Behind 'Spark of the Rust'

Before the great midwestern steel towns could roar to life, before the automotive lines could reshape the modern landscape, there had to be a spark. That spark was born in the raw, unforgiving earth of the Upper Peninsula, moving silently through the massive pocket ore docks of Marquette, Michigan.

Those docks weren't just infrastructure; they were the heavy beating heart of an era. Utilizing nothing but gravity, grit, and sweat, they fed the pockets of waiting ships with the iron ore that would literally forge the American Industrial Revolution.

Built entirely from raw scrap metal salvaged during ScrapFest 16, "Spark of the Rust" is a physical monument to that foundational labor. Every pitted edge, every heavy weld, and every layer of oxidized steel carries a past life from Michigan's industrial history. It is a reminder that rust isn’t just decay—it is the signature of time, effort, and transformation.

Forged by a Chicagoland fabricator captivated by the heritage of the North, this sculpture stands as a bridge between the forgotten iron of the past and the enduring spirit of midwestern industry. It is a tribute to the hands that built the country, pulled directly from the scrap heap, and welded into history.