Great Outdoors: Pieces of Nature Create Picture-Perfect Landscape

MN Senator Chuck Wiger Creates Masterpiece Display

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It might surprise you to know a well-known Minnesota Senator is creating art on the North Shore, that’s literally stopping people in their tracks.

In this week’s edition of The Great Outdoors, we head to Grand Marais.

“There’s tens and thousands of rocks and flowers,” explained Senator Chuck Wiger while looking at his property.

Nestled along the shores of Lake Superior sits Wiger’s masterpiece.

“I have liked rocks all my life and have included rocks in design for each place that I’ve lived,” said Wiger.

He doesn’t consider himself an artist but one look at his front lawn, and the landscape grabs your attention.

“This project started in earnest about 4–years ago. There was a big storm in November,” explained Wiger.

The Gales of November, infamous for shipwrecks and tumultuous waters were Wiger’s inspiration.

“Several trees blew down, they were massive and I thought well rather than removing everything and cutting them up and maybe change it a little bit and start a landscape up where I could berm it,” said Wiger.

In order to create such a display Wiger uses rocks from 40-foot cliffs that surround his property, drift wood and pebbles from the lake shore.

He said he never envisioned his hobby would grow to cover his entire property.

“I do it as an expression of my love for the North Shore, my appreciation for rocks, animals. The beauty in flowers. I love wood and this was a way to put it all together,” said Wiger.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and clearly this display has caught the eye of tourists.

Wiger said people stop hourly to snap pictures.

“Animal sculptures that are created by different artists there’s also a variety of different driftwood and it’s all put together in a pattern that hopefully harmonizes,” said the Senator.

So what is next for the nature lover?

“I will continue to perfect different rocks sculptures and doing that, but probably wanting to get in more kayaking and hiking as well,” said Wiger.

Wiger said every animal displayed on his lawn, aside from the moose, he has seen on his property.