Artist took pieces of Notre Dame’s past and turned them into art

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A piece of Notre Dame history is now hanging on a wall, made from Notre Dame history.

Milwaukee artist Ike Wynter unveiled a new reclaimed-wood installation created for the Notre Dame basketball program. The piece is built from scraps and cut-offs that many people would throw away — including wood that once supported old concession stands inside Notre Dame Stadium.

Wynter said he started his career by picking up wood on the side of the road, finding purpose in what others left behind. His first commission was for Mike Tyson. Now, his work has made its way to Notre Dame — not just as a design, but as a story meant to connect people.

Wynter follows one main rule: He does not change the wood’s original color. No paint. No stain. No fixing the flaws. Instead, he lets the imperfections tell the story.

More than 90 percent of the wood in the installation came from Notre Dame through a partnership with Irish Woodworks. The yellow, white and blue sections include hardwood from both the men’s and women’s basketball floors.

The project did take time. Wynter said it involved about seven months of conversations and roughly 80 hours of sorting, removing nails and planning.

“It’s a trip to see this hanging up at Notre Dame here. This is the biggest piece of art I’ve ever created,” Wynter said. “My family has deep ties to Notre Dame here. So my grandpa played on the national football team back in 1943 and won a national title here.”

Wynter said the process did more than connect wood to a wall — it brought his family closer, too. He said the project helped uncover paperwork, photos and details about his grandfather that the family had never seen.

“We’re able to learn more about my grandpa and see paperwork and photos that we’ve never seen before,” Wynter said. “So my mom cried at the dinner table. She’s one of eight siblings, and their dad played for Notre Dame so it has reconnected a family who’s scattered all over the country.”