Northern Lights Pillars

Artist: David Badman

Commissioned by: City of Grand Forks

Installation: 2022

Location: Downtown Grand Forks

About the artist: David Badman, a metalsmith, custom jewelry designer, and owner of Bd, has been a downtown business in Grand Forks since 1988, specializing in custom, one-of-a-kind pieces to fit any area of your life.

David’s design lab & showroom is located in historic downtown Grand Forks, North Dakota, which is where David has lived since the Super Bowl blizzard of 1975 blew his family into town from a tour in the United Kingdom. His Father served in the Air Force.

David began creating jewelry in 1985 and completed a degree in Fine Arts at the University of North Dakota, but before graduation, he opened his first business, Studio 18, in 1988. He recalls his first summer in business as a rather lonesome one, with only flies for company. But he persevered and in the ensuing years, he moved his studio to four progressively larger downtown locations to accommodate his growing business.

David’s design work incorporates mixed metals and terra-cotta clay and has progressed from jewelry and accessories to designs for the home, residential & commercial installations and outdoor sculptures. His work has been featured in several publications, on HGTV’s Modern Masters and sold throughout the United States. Combinations of textures and metals cut into distinct shapes/icons became his signature. His pieces are becoming recognized around the world. David’s design talents are best shown in his custom pieces for individuals that depict not only the personality of the people involved but also the space for which it is intended. Each custom design is a reflection of an idea or person for whom it was created.

Today, Bd is located on South 3rd Street in historic downtown Grand Forks and is a 5,000 square foot expansive design lab and showroom. Here David and his Bd crew create, display and sell their artwork (jewelry and the ever-changing inventory of home designs including mirrors, wine racks, tables, benches, boxes, lamps, railings, wall hangings, small sculpture, outdoor sculpture and their popular limited edition holiday ornaments).

Description: The Downtown Light Pillars were designed specifically with Grand Forks in mind, with a Bd spin. It all started with the need for lighting after the new road and sidewalk construction of Demers and South 3rd Street.

From there Dave knew he had the perfect idea to represent the very essence of Grand Forks that would illuminate the downtown streets. From late night sketching and difficult assembly, to collaborating with other local businesses the Downtown Light Pillars came to life.

Each pillar shows a slightly different winding cutout representing the ever changing Red River, and the blue river rings on the base represent the highest point during the 1997 flood. The evenings in downtown Grand Forks just got a little brighter.