Man crafts unique sculptures from old farm equipment

By Joe Van Ryn

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    SOUTH HAVEN, Minnesota (WCCO) — At 63 years old, Mike Orr is finally dedicating time to a passion he once had to set aside.

“I got into that mode of life where I had to raise a family, take care of things, and let art go,” Orr said.

After spending 35 years in the technology sector, running large corporate infrastructures and working in virtual environments, Orr retired with a sense of accomplishment, but also a void.

“There was nothing tactile. Nothing I could point to and say, ‘See what I did,'” he said.

So, instead of putting his feet up in retirement, he went back to school to learn welding. Not to pick up a trade, but to reignite his creativity.

Orr now spends his days in his South Haven, Minnesota studio, crafting sculptures from scrap metal. Most of the material comes from farm auctions — old tractor parts, chains, tools, and rusted pieces of iron that others would discard.

“Everything I use is repurposed,” Orr said.

To showcase his work, Orr simply drives his creations to the end of his driveway and puts them on display. Among them, a towering camel constructed from tractor fenders, wrenches and spade shovels, a self-portrait sculpture made up of over 500 rusty wrenches and a whimsical Curious George crafted from milk cans, an oil drum, C-clamps and a split hubcap for the mouth.

Other sculptures on display include a family of elephants, bison, a peacock and a T. rex.

But Orr’s most meaningful pieces he keeps inside his home.

“This one was my first welding piece. My first sculpture,” he said, admiring a small sculpture of a welding man. “This one will stay with me forever.”

Also inside is a life-size Tin Man sculpture, inspired by “The Wizard of Oz.” Orr outbid the highest bidder at a silent auction after realizing he didn’t want to part with the piece.

“I just like the story of the Tin Man and everything that he’s about,” Orr said. “He sits in the home, keeps an eye on us and makes sure we all have a heart.”

And heart is something Orr has plenty of. In addition to creating art for fun, he donates pieces to silent auctions and fundraisers, many of which support families affected by cancer — a cause deeply personal to him. His daughter is a cancer survivor; his father died of the disease.

“You’ve got to find a way in this world to give back,” Orr said, choking up. “I can’t cure cancer, but if I can help a family that’s going through that process, make things more comfortable, I certainly want to do what I can do.”

For Orr, it’s about more than just welding scrap into sculpture. It’s about expression, connection and joy.

“It’s fun for me to watch people study it and see the smile,” he said. “They get this look like, ‘I get it.’ And to me, that’s the joy of what I do.”

As for what’s next?

“I think the next project I do is going to be a brontosaurus,” he said with a grin. “Something that is relatively large that families and kids can enjoy.”

Because Orr knows that joy can be built from the simplest scraps.

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