Demmer Neptune Gate

This gate — a wrought-iron masterpiece rivaling Cyril Colnik's work — is an appropriate entrance to the garden. It features various Greco-Roman design motifs, while Neptune peers with his watery domain behind and a trident as his scepter. The S scrolls represent waves but also reference the Smith family. Three talented Wisconsin blacksmiths collaborated on this gate, which took two years to design and fabricate: Eric Moebius, Dan Nauman and Tom Latané. It's considered a major benchmark of traditional ironwork. The Demmer Foundation made this gift to Milwaukee possible, while the Wisconsin Arts Board underwrote documentation of its creation.

Photography by Kevin Miyazaki.