Bob Dylan Is Designing a Metalwork Sculpture for the MGM National Harbor Casino

Last updated on December 14th, 2021

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Legendary musician Bob Dylan is working on a metalwork sculpture for the MGM National Harbor casino. When completed, the 26-foot by 15-foot sculpture is going to stand at the west entrance to the casino.

The sculpture is part of a larger effort to decorate the area surrounding MGM National Harbor with decorative arts. Bob Dylan is no novice in creating visual artwork, which has been displayed in American and British art galleries.

Bob Dylan’s “Portal”

The sculpture’s name is “Portal“. It is not the first metalwork of Dylan’s to be displayed. His first work was displayed for the public at London’s Halcyon Gallery in 2013. Dylan has been sculpting artwork for private display for more than 30 years.

Bob Dylan is also a painter. His paintings have been displayed for the public since the mid-1990’s. When making a metalwork, he takes cogs, wheels, axes, kitchen cutlery, and metallic kids toys to make a piece.

Dozens of Artists Displayed

The sculpture is just one of many works from more than a dozen artists which is going on display at the MGM National Harbor. It has not been revealed who much was paid for the Dylan’s work.

Jim Murren, the CEO of MGM Resorts International, said of the sculpture, “As a company founded upon entertainment, we’re truly inspired by artists who channel their energy into diverse paths. We’re proud to collaborate with Mr. Dylan and bring his vision to MGM National Harbor’s Heritage Collection in a way that enhances this sensory resort experience.”

$1.3 Billion MGM National Harbor

The MGM National Harbor is a $1.3 billion casino-resort which is planning to open in December 2016. It is owned by MGM Resorts, the famous Las Vegas casino company known for resorts like MGM Grand, Borgata, and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, as well as Borgata in Atlantic City. MGM Resorts owns 15 different properties in Las Vegas, but it also co-owns resorts as far afield as Macao, China.

About Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan is the famed folk singer turned cultural icon. Bob Dylan’s lyrics are honored by fellow musicians and literary professors alike, while he has sold over 100 million albums.

In the Sixties, Dylan’s anti-establishment songs like “Blowin’ In The Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin'” were anthems for the American civil rights and anti-war movements. His decision to ‘go electric’ and hire rock-and-roll musicians to back him on tour in the Sixties led to his denunciation by many in the folk music scene.

Through the years, the number of musicians who have covered Bob Dylan songs has been legion. The number of impersonators and comedians who have mimicked his famous twang also has been massive. Over the past 50 years, Bob Dylan has explored most aspects of American music: he has performed folk, blues, country, gospel, rock, and rockabilly. Bob Dylan has sang selections from the American Songbook, while also dabbling with Irish and Scottish folk tunes.

The Dylan Mystique

In 2016, is nothing short of a living legend. Despite decades of albums, biographies and autobiographies, he remains one of the most enigmatic figures in American pop culture. Even today, he is widely regarded as the greatest American lyricist. He sold original copies of his songbooks to the George Kaiser Family Foundation and the University of Tulsa for a reported $15 million to $20 million. He sold the original lyrics to “Like a Rolling Stone“ (written on four sheets of hotel stationary in pencil) at Sotheby’s for $2 million.

So when a Bob Dylan metalwork sculpture appears at the MGM National Harbor, a number of people are going to want to see the man’s vision. “Portal” should be a fixture at the billion-dollar casino for many years to come.