Community invited to contribute materials for ‘Iron Hodag’ public art project

An artist with ties to Rhinelander is hoping members of the community will take part in his next project, a reclaimed metal sculpture to be called the Iron Hodag. The public art installation is scheduled to be unveiled later this summer but Don Gaber must first assemble it.
According to a press release announcing the project, Gaber has completed an approximately 8-foot-long metal skeleton for the Iron Hodag, which will be finished with reclaimed materials donated by the community.
“Each contribution will help shape this one-of-a-kind artwork, celebrating Rhinelander’s history and creative spirit,” the release states.
The piece was commissioned by former Rhinelander residents Ron and Elise Gaber. Ron and Don are cousins.
“Once a Hodag, always a Hodag,” Ron Gaber said in the release. “Rhinelander is a progressive community that offers incredible educational, recreational and cultural opportunities...and the Hodag is central to its popularity,history and world-wide appeal. We have lived in Kirksville,Missouri for 50 years and have regularly returned to Rhinelander to vacation and to visit family and friends. We are so ‘Hodag’ that we have integrated the Hodag legend and culture in our Missouri life through sport teams, themes, license plates, signs and carvings.”

Don Gaber’s work incorporates discarded, donated, scavenged, and vintage materials, transforming them into large-scale artworks that reflect the history and character of the communities where they are created, the release states.
True to that approach, the Iron Hodag will be built using materials sourced from the Rhinelander area. Gaber aims to weave local heritage directly into the sculpture by incorporating items such as paper mill artifacts, lumberjack memorabilia, vintage license plates, old metal advertising, machinery parts, and former business or tourism signage.
Community members who have materials they believe could contribute to the Iron Hodag are encouraged to participate. To submit an item for consideration, email a photo of the material to one of the following project contacts:
• David Gaber: gaberssuperiorview@gmail.com
• Janet Jamison: jamisjan@rhinelander.k12.wi.us.