We all know Bob Dylan is a musical genius but I didn’t know he has something in common with Rodin, Michelangelo and Picasso - he’s a sculptor just like them. However, I bet Rodin, Michelangelo and Picasso couldn’t sing like Dylan. Few can! Soon we’ll all see how good a sculptor Dylan is when the MGM National Harbor Resort opens it’s doors in Maryland. That’s because guests will enter the $1.3 billion casino resort through a “Portal” iron archway sculpted by Dylan.
The 8-metre by 5-metre custom piece will adorn the west entrance as part of the property's art collection and it’s  Dylan's first permanent work of art for a public space. Talk about taking a gamble.
Dylan has sculpted iron pieces for family and friends for the past 30 years, but it wasn't until 2013 - at London's Halcyon Gallery in an exhibition called Mood Swings - that his metal artwork was first viewed publicly. 
His works feature found objects, vintage scrap metal and industrial artifacts collected from junkyards. 
Dylan collects everything from farm equipment, children's toys, kitchen utensils and antique fire arms to chains, cogs, axes and wheels. He then welds these curiosities into thoughtfully juxtaposed masterpieces. 
Commissioned by MGM National Harbor to envision an open entrance, Dylan hand-selected unique objects and will weld a stunning composition into a soaring archway. Guests will walk through this incredible architectural artwork entitled "Portal" as they enter the new resort. 
Gates are elemental in Dylan's body of welding work. The poet draws from their symbolism as doorways. 
"Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow," said Dylan. "They can be closed, but at the same time they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. And in some ways, there is no difference.”
Sounds like the words to one of his songs!
For more on this exciting new resort, go to http:\\www.mgmresorts.com.