The Iron Range town of Hibbing, Minnesota, where L&M Radiator was founded and is based, unveiled a new public art tribute to world renowned singer-songwriter and author Bob Dylan, to recognize one of the town’s most famous residents.
Dylan has been granted some of the most prestigious awards throughout his six-decade career. In 1963, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording for his first self-titled album. He’s been awarded a Golden Globe, taken home several Grammys, and was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
The tribute to Dylan is a monument located outside Hibbing High School, where he graduated in 1959.
According to a story about the monument published by Minnesota Public Radio, when Dylan was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, retired Hibbing High School social studies teacher Craig Hattam organized a group of local residents to create a public space to honor the songwriter — one that tourists could visit when the library was closed. The placement of the monument at the high school was intentional – to allow it to serve as a daily reminder that just because one is from Hibbing, Minnesota, they shouldn’t limit their dreams of where they want to go or what they want to do.
The Structure of the Monument
According to the Hibbing Dylan Project, the monument is meant to be a physical representation of that songwriting tradition. The focal part of the design highlights the non-linear songwriting process and gives viewers the opportunity to discover and experience Bob Dylan’s lyrics in a different environment.
On one side of the display, a brick wall features the announcement of the Nobel Prize. The opposite side of the wall features a series of stainless-steel panels that contain lyrics from more than 50 of Dylan’s songs.
A group of L&M Radiator employees worked with the Hibbing Dylan Project to create these 5 panels using L&M Radiator’s laser cutter, volunteering hundreds of hours of programming time along with cleaning and buffing the panels. The job was completed the afternoon before the unveiling.
L&M Radiator employees Matt Hartl, Nick Ebert, Dennis Anderson, Jill Fatticci, Doug Pioske, Sarah DeMerse and Clayton Brown worked together to complete the graphics.
“Many L&M employees worked together to build this project; it was challenging but serves as a great community tribute,” L&M Corporate Paint Technician Supervisor Matt Hartl said.