All aboard the steel train Local artist's sculpture nearing completion BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer KATHY CHANG Sculptor Glenn Murgacz has built a stainless-steel train, 4 feet wide, 13 feet long and about 6 feet 7 inches tall, that will be placed in front of the J.J. Bitting Brewing Co. on Main Street before Christmastime. WOODBRIDGE - It all started as an idea that Glenn Murgacz, a sculptor, announced at the St. James Street Fair in October 2006: to build a 4-foot-wide by 8-foot-long steel train. Now, after a year of processing the idea, it has evolved into the Woodbridge Public Art Project. "It is now made out of stainless steel and is 4 feet wide, 13 feet long, and about 6 feet 7 inches tall," said Murgacz, as he and Ted Lorenz III applied the finishing touches to the shiny silver vintage locomotive on Nov. 14. The train is currently sitting in Murgacz's 18-foot-wide, 24-foot-long garage on Schoder Avenue, which is also known as his studio. Finishing touches on the project include work on the wheels, applying shine to the stainless steel, applying an actual train whistle and bell, and rounding out the sharp edges. Murgacz, whose passion is human figures with an organic style, said that with the help of Lorenz, the work has been going five times as fast. "He [Lorenz] is just so passionate about my project and is an ace mechanic with great ideas," said Murgacz. "He'll come by without even telling me, and I'll hear the sound of the dye sander polishing the stainless steel." Murgacz said he'll visit scrap yards during the day for the project, and then from 5:30 to 10 p.m. he'll work on the train with Lorenz. The stainless-steel train, which weighs approximately a ton, will be permanently placed in front of the JJ Bitting Brewing Co., 33 Main St., and will face the intersection. The train, which will be raised 6 inches, fittingly displays the number 33 on the front of the train. "I'm hoping to have it completely finished and ready to unveil before Christmas time," said Murgacz. Lorenz, who just started helping Murgacz apply the finishing touches on the train two weeks ago, chimed in that he has set a date for Dec. 15. Whatever the date may be, the stainless steel train will represent the new direction Murgacz envisions the township to move in: providing more public art in the township, making Woodbridge a landmark. "There really isn't any public art in the township," said Murgacz, who cited his 18- foot-by-24-foot, 6-foot-high stainless steel sports figures that are displayed at the Woodbridge Community Center and his 6- foot-5-inch-tall warrior figure made out of brass and copper that is also displayed outside the JJ Bitting building. Murgacz also has wall pieces displayed inside the brewing company. Murgacz is part of the township's steering committee on brainstorming ideas on how to increase an awareness of art in the township. Murgacz said his idea for the project stemmed from his nonprofit organization, Local Artists Forum For Scholarships [LAFFS], which he founded in 2002. The organization is committed to showcasing the work of local high school artists on a regular basis, expanding their communication and presentation skills, and awarding scholarships. "We had found a venue to showcase events; however, the venue fell through before we could even start, and now we are looking for another one," said Murgacz. "It's great to give back to the community and provide for a student who wants to go to college for fine arts. Even though [the scholarships] are not a lot of money, every little bit helps." Murgacz, 58, said his job at Exxon Mobil, which he just retired from last year after 32 years, offers grant money every year for his nonprofit organization. "We are a bona fide nonprofit group, which donates six scholarships a year, which are named after my father, Alfred Murgacz," he said. "I thought this would be a good way to raise money for the LAFFS Corporation." After announcing his idea at the St. James Street Fair, Murgacz said it was slow to get started. "I thought about it a lot … the planning stages and the vision," he said. "I was very optimistic in the beginning and had set the original unveiling time for spring of this year." Murgacz said he approached Mike Cerami, the owner of JJ Bitting, about putting a piece of artwork in front of the brewing company. "I do a lot of wall pieces and suggested a leaping horse," he said. "Then he suggested a train, since the location is right near the train station, and that is when we started on the project. He actually thought it was going to be a train on the wall." With a miniature model of a vintage train and various photos of trains he found on the Internet, Murgacz was able to form what he needed. Murgacz added that he originally planned to make the train out of steel, but because of logistics, he decided to make the train out of stainless steel. "Now with the stainless steel, we have made same-size uniform pieces and can polish the steel to make it shiny, and it is maintenance free," he said. Murgacz plans to place 300 engraved nameplates of people or businesses that have donated to the project on the train. "We have 170 donations so far, he said. "Our goal is 300, so we have space for 130 more names." The train's front cowcatcher will display the 24 names of the Iselin Cub Scouts, who each donated toward the project. Murgacz said he has three options on how he is going to move his one-ton piece of artwork from his studio to JJ Bitting, but hasn't made a decision yet. "The train is in three pieces and can be taken apart," he said. "We could take the train apart and build it on-site; leave it all together and have six to eight guys [hoist it] on a dolly and roll it into a truck; or have someone bring over a crane and pick the train up and then just lower it on the site." After averaging 150 hours working on the train, Murgacz is excited that the installation of the train, which has been his biggest project, is near. "I'm hoping a business could donate the landscaping that we propose to be around the train," he said. Murgacz and Lorenz said they couldn't wait to see the sunshine bounce off the stainless-steel train as they drive on Main Street. "I've been looking at the train all this time at a close distance, and I'm look forward to seeing it at a distance," said Murgacz. The sculptor's next project is a 10-foothigh human sculpture, which will be placed on the lawn outside the Barron Arts Center on Rahway Avenue. "Now that I'm retired, I can concentrate on my artwork [which is mainly sculptures]," he said. For more information on Glenn Murgacz's Woodbridge Public Art Project visit www.laffs.org or call (732) 634-7060. Minimum donations are $50 per family or individual, and $100 per business. The donation will fund a piece of steel in the sculpture, which will have an engrave plaque attached with the name of the donor with a maximum of 25 characters. Donations may be made out to the LAFFS Corp. and sent to 78 Schoder Ave., Woodbridge NJ 07095.