Park City asked artists to submit sculpture proposals using parts of the Daly-West headframe, which dates back to the late 1800s.
Artists Matt Burney and Joe Mross of So Metal Studios in Oregon won the bid.
Burney said the pair excels in the type of work the city wanted.
“Our passion is riveted ironwork… along with recycling and upcycling,” Burney said. “We’re just always interested in projects that are railroad, mining, industrial - that kind of stuff.”
Along with incorporating pieces of Park City’s mining past, Burney said they plan to tie in old railroad rail, a reference to the Rail Trail’s past. He said the sculpture will also give a nod to the spoked wheel, acknowledging the current use of bikes on the trail.
The pair will pick up the metal in Park City and take it back to Oregon to finish the project over the winter.
“A big part of it is having the space and equipment to move these pieces around safely,” Burney said. “They weigh thousands of pounds. We’re starting with some stuff with some pretty jagged edges and just heavy duty overall.”
It’s scheduled to be completed in the spring. When finished, it will be placed at the start of the Rail Trail in Park City, just off Bonanza Drive. The $60,000 project is being paid for by Park City’s public art fund.
