The Enchanted Highway/3 part series

"The Enchanted Highway" is a half-hour radio documentary profiling artist Gary Greff’s attempt to save his dying Great Plains hometown by building giant metal sculptures along a lonely strip of county road. His goal: to transform the community – Regent, North Dakota – into the Metal Art Capital of the World, a tourist mecca.

For the past twelve years, Greff has been building magnificent metal sculptures along a 30-mile stretch of road leading from Interstate 94 to Regent, ND, where the majority of residents are over fifty, and the population – currently 200 – is plummeting. The documentary details Greff’s dogged struggle to raise money and craft the sculptures, which include a giant tin family (where the tin father’s hat is the size of a small car), a flock of pheasants that weighs over 30,000 pounds, and, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s largest metal sculpture, “Geese in Flight.” Greff’s plans also include a motel, dinner theater, and a metal art theme park. Says one resident, “He truly believes he can save this town.”

"The Enchanted Highway" debuted on March 6th, 2005 on Chicago Public Radio, and has subsequently been aired as a series on April 11-13 on NPR's Day To Day, and May 16 on North Dakota Public Radio. Hide full description

"The Enchanted Highway" is a half-hour radio documentary profiling artist Gary Greff’s attempt to save his dying Great Plains hometown by building giant metal sculptures along a lonely strip of county road. His goal: to transform the community – Regent, North Dakota – into the Metal Art Capital of the World, a tourist mecca. For the past twelve years, Greff has been building magnificent metal sculptures along a 30-mile stretch of road leading from Interstate 94 to Regent, ND, where the majority of residents are over fifty, and the population – currently 200 – is plummeting. The documentary details Greff’s dogged struggle to raise money and craft the sculptures, which include a giant tin family (where the tin father’s hat is the size of a small car), a flock of pheasants that weighs... Show full description