Gibsonburg is on the way to nowhere ... except Gibsonburg.
Vehicles do not drive through the northwest Ohio village to get to somewhere else. It is its own destination.
Countyline grain elevators dominate the village's skyline just as the Willis Tower, once called the Sears Tower, reigns over Chicago. That city of 2.6 million may have a rowdy Navy Pier but the 2.4 thousand people in Gibsonburg have a sculpture park that just won't quit.
“You have to be going to Gibsonburg to get to Gibsonburg,” said James Havens, from his sculpture studio set along a quarry. Metal images dot the grounds as a mini-version of Sculpture in the Village, created in 2005 at Williams Park. In fact, his pieces served as the inspiration for that public space.
“I have lots of sculptures,” he said of a lifetime of work.
It has been more than 20 years since his neighbors and friends suggested there needed to be more eyes for his three-dimensional creations, as his studio is located on a road with no outlet.
The 86-year-old welder, teacher, and sculptor is at a time of life when he can sit back and appreciate his blessings.
He says he is thankful to have such an idyllic spot to spark creativity. He is appreciative of the large rocks situated on the far side of the road to keep him from accidentally driving into the quarry. He is even respectful of the small critters who have attempted, over the years, to pass through the open door of his studio. He steps over a foot-high board nailed across the bottom of his workshop door. He courteously warns visitors of the high step. Wandering animals are safely barred from a lifetime of souvenirs carefully tucked away with just a minimum of clutter.
He maintains a landline, doesn't seem much interested in seatbelts and was glad he was alive during the 1950s. He appreciates the Big Band era, was a fan of Buddy Holly and says even Elvis Presley “could play a tune pretty well.”
He offers an opinion on getting older: “When you're 86, you know a lot, but you forget almost as much.”
He says the luckiest day of his life was when he met his future wife on a blind date in Washington, D.C. They moved to Toledo in 1966, before seeking a more rural way of life.
“We decided this is a good place for us. Toledo has treated us really good,” said Havens, who has been married for 59 years.
And though Havens' path seems to have been ringed in fire one could never miss, the sparks were never apparent to him.
“I had not a clue what I was going to be,” said Mr. Havens of his younger days. “I wanted to be the next Ernest Hemingway, but it turns out I'm not a very good writer.”
He took the initiative to attend what is now Lincoln Electric Welding School in Cleveland, and taught welding, sculpture, and the arts for 15 years at Owens Community College. He worked for Toledo Fencing & Supply Co., joining Ironworkers Local 55. Yet, it was his attachment to a rural community that that would result in his crafting a garden of sculptures at Williams Park.
“The ladies of Gibsonburg decided that for me,” said Havens, who enlisted lots of help. “I thought if I could get a lot of students and friends in on this, then we would have something special.”
And so it grew.
“From a Gibsonburg perspective, having these amazing works of art in our community have allowed us to feature Williams Park as a destination by which to draw visitors to see not only them, but also the Public Safety Service Memorial, the Northcoast Veterans Museum and all of the other great activities that occur in the park,” said Marc Glotzbecker, village administrator. “It's a privilege for the village to host them.”
This year, there are 30 sculptures in Williams Park, not including a Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star braced in flight.
“Putting an airplane up in the air is my idea of a cool thing,” Havens said.
Then there is the 9/11 Public Safety Services Memorial, which incorporates a piece of antenna that once stood on the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The Gibsonburg sculpture's own tower stands 17.76 feet high. The Memorial Tower in New York measures 1,776 feet high.
The Gibsonburg Veterans Memorial, featuring Kneeling Chaplain , was created by Mr. Havens and the Toledo Area Sculptors Guild. Havens served as the model and so his image remains as part of the village's permanent collection.
Some of the sculptures have been donated and remain in place year to year. Iron Pride by Marie Brown, in steel and paint, and Enchanted Arbor , by Julie Walker, in steel and paint, are gifts to the village. The welded steel Winged Spread , created by Tom Zitzelberger, and Long Neck, fashioned out of welded agricultural parts by Don Doblinger, also have been gifted to Gibsonburg.
Sculptor Pamela Reithmeier gifted Forget Me Never, forged in steel and paint in memory of her mother, who died of cancer. This year, she is offering a piece called Wave Riders.
“I started taking the artistic welding class at Owens in 2002. It was taught by James Havens,” said Reithmeier, president of the Toledo Area Sculptors Guild, which meets in Gibsonburg. “I have had a sculpture in that show every year. It is through Jim that I became involved in all of this. He has been a wonderful teacher, mentor and friend.”
Some of the pieces have been for sale, such as Diversity Conversation 3, created by Ken Thompson, whom Havens describes as the Energizer Bunny of sculpting.
But, to Havens, one piece stands above all others.
’The one I am most proud of is the 911 memorial. I am hanging my hat on that one,” he said. “Everybody who worked on this gave their best effort. And it shows.”
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