The ''Bronze Fonz'' is a public artwork by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

artist Gerald P. Sawyer, located on the Milwaukee Riverwalk in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The ''Bronze Fonz'' depicts

Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series ''Happy Days'', Winkler has ...

as "

The Fonz Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lea ...

," a character in the 1970s television series '' Happy Days'', which was set in Milwaukee.

Description

The sculpture, made of

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

, depicts actor Henry Winkler as he appeared in his role as

Arthur Fonzarelli Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lead ...

(also known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz"). Fonzarelli was an iconic character in the 1970s television show '' Happy Days'', a sitcom about a family in 1950s–1960s Milwaukee. He stands in his usual attire, a leather jacket and jeans, and gives a two-handed

thumbs up A thumb signal, usually described as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, is a common hand gesture achieved by a closed fist held with the thumb extended upward or downward in approval or disapproval, respectively. These gestures have become metaphors i ...

gesture, as he often did in ''Happy Days''. The statue is located on the Milwaukee Riverwalk, just south of Wells Street. It is accompanied by an inscription that lists donors who contributed to the ''Bronze Fonz'' project. The organization "Visit Milwaukee" raised $75,000 dollars to commission the sculpture and since 2008 it has been on the Milwaukee Riverwalk.

History

Acquisition

The ''Bronze Fonz'' was commissioned by Visit Milwaukee, a non-profit group with the purpose of promoting tourism and bringing new businesses to Milwaukee. Visit Milwaukee raised $85,000 to commission the statue. Over the decade prior to the statue's creation, other similar television character based bronze statues, commissioned by the cable television channel, TV Land, had been built in other cities and towns to portray such figures as Mary Tyler Moore (as Mary Richards from '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'') in Minneapolis, Andy Griffith and Ron Howard (as Andy and Opie Taylor from " The Andy Griffith Show") in Raleigh, and Jackie Gleason (as Ralph Kramden from '' The Honeymooners'') outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. However, TV Land scrapped its plans to build a Fonz statue after a change in their marketing strategy in 2007. The sculpture was unveiled on August 18, 2008. Most of the ''Happy Days'' cast, including Winkler, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley, Erin Moran, Don Most, and

Anson Williams Anson Williams (born Anson William Heimlich, September 25, 1949, in Los Angeles, California) is an American actor, singer, and director, best known for his role as gullible, well-intentioned singer Warren "Potsie" Weber on the television series ...

, attended the dedication ceremony. Winkler referred to the statue as "unbelievable."

Opposition

Mike Brenner, then a local gallery owner and executive director of Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN), objected to the statue, which was originally planned to be located at the intersection of Wisconsin and Water Streets, a prominent downtown site. He threatened to close his gallery and resign his position in MARN if "that stupid Fonzie sculpture" was erected there. Brenner received death threats for speaking out against the ''Bronze Fonz'', and reposted several on his web site. The CEO of the Milwaukee Art Museum, David Gordon, along with ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...

'' arts critic Mary-Louise Schumacher and other Milwaukee arts dignitaries, also opposed the statue, which ultimately was erected instead at the Riverwalk site. Brenner nevertheless closed his gallery in May 2008, and opened a Milwaukee

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Maintenance

The sculpture was removed for maintenance in February 2022. The sculpture has become shiny on the surfaces people have been touching. The weather has also damaged the finish on the sculpture. The bronze has begun to oxidize where salt has interacted with the metal. The sculpture encourages interaction and selfies: visitors have been climbing on it, leaving scratches.

In popular culture

* The statue is referenced in the lyrics of the 2014 song "Milwaukee" by The Both. The song, which recounted the local origin of the collaboration between the duo of Aimee Mann and Ted Leo, was the first single from their self-titled debut album. * In the 2015 novel ''In the Drink'' by Allyson K. Abbott, part of a cozy mystery series set in Milwaukee, the body of a murder victim is found underneath the ''Bronze Fonz'' statue.

References

{{MilwaukeePublicArt 2008 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Wisconsin Happy Days Outdoor sculptures in Milwaukee Statues in Wisconsin Sculptures of men in Wisconsin Statues of fictional characters