Salem 'Junk Collector' Twists Scrap Metal into Masterpieces

Salem 'junk collector' Herb Mackey's front yard is home to some truly amazing metal art.

Don't call Herb Mackey an artist - he prefers the title "junk collector".  And while Mackey may not consider himself an artist, the whimsical scrap metal sculptures that are scattered across his Blaney Street yard can't be considered anything but works of art. My recent transition from editing Marblehead Patch to running Salem Patch has meant devoting time each day to exploring the ins and outs of the city - and making a real effort to sniff out local feature pieces by getting lost on the sidestreets of Salem. It was while looking for a good spot to capture a picture of a Salem Harbor sunset Tuesday morning that I stumbled across the hand-crafted metal monsters posed in front of Mackey's studio near the Salem Ferry. A hand-painted sign …

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