RIVER SCULPTURE

The Manpower Sculpture Collection

West Riverbank between Juneau Avenue and Highland Avenue
The employment services firm Manpower Inc. was founded in Milwaukee in 1948 by Elmer Winter and has grown from a small local company into a $22 billion Fortune 120 powerhouse with offices in 82 countries. The Manpower/Elmer Winter Sculpture Garden of six works represents another of Winter's legacies and includes his sculpture, "To Dream the Impossible Dream," a fusion of car bumpers pushing skyward.

Southwest end of Highland Street Bridge
Two approximately 4-ft. high cast iron bowls.

Pere Marquette Park between the Milwaukee County Historical Society and the Riverwalk
French explorer and Jesuit missionary, Pere Jacques Marquette, was one of the first Europeans to explore the Great Lakes. In addition to the Park that bears his name, Milwaukee is home to the Catholic, Jesuit Marquette University. *Wisconsin Artist

Pere Marquette Park near the Milwaukee County Historical Society and Riverwalk
Whimsical and colorful, this painted steel sculpture has two distinct personalities, depending on which side is viewed. Lichtner and his wife, artist Ruth Grotenrath, were often referred to as Milwaukee's "first couple of painting." This work combines his two passions – cows and ballerinas – and was created when Lichtner was 98 years old.  *Wisconsin Artist

Northwest end of Kilbourn Street Bridge
This giant sphere was created using repurposed end caps of propane tanks, proving that everyday objects can turn into extraordinary sculpture.

West Riverbank between Wells Street and Kilbourn Avenue
This bronze arch was created by Milwaukee artist Beth Sahagian as a millennium project. The proud female warrior and river protector, who sits sentinel at its highest point serves as an unofficial guardian and gatekeeper of the Riverwalk. *Wisconsin Artist

Mounted on the wall of a building along the west bank of the river between Wells Street and Wisconsin Avenue
A large expanse of wall on this downtown building lights up at night with lighthouses and colorful neon fish "swimming" under waves.

West Riverbank just south of Wisconsin Avenue Bridge
A school of fish swims gracefully along the railings and in the planters, in a sculpture concept that speaks to Milwaukee's Great Lakes heritage. *Wisconsin Artist

Center, the north side of Wisconsin Avenue Bridge
In 1945 a short story in the local paper about a mallard duck nesting under the Wisconsin Avenue Bridge went on to make national headlines. "Gertie," as she was affectionately named, laid nine eggs and became an overnight celebrity, as hundreds of visitors stopped by daily to check in on the hatchlings. Gertie and her five surviving ducklings were eventually moved to the windows of a Milwaukee department store for public viewing before being released to the Juneau Park Lagoon on the lakefront. *Wisconsin Artist

East Riverbank in flowerbed on Mason Street Landing
This humorous, colorful pop art sculpture depicts Gertie directing her ducklings as they row the boat. The hull was painted by children at La Causa Crisis Nursery on Milwaukee's south side. *Wisconsin Artist

East Riverbank on Mason Street Landing *Wisconsin Artist

Say “ayyy” to the Bronze Fonz! Located on Milwaukee’s RiverWalk just off of Wells Street, the Bronze Fonz is a must-visit selfie spot.

East Riverbank, just south of Kilbourn Avenue
These works, abstract versions of the female form, are inspired by the environment around us.

Northeast Corner of the Kilbourn Avenue Bridge
This distinctive bright red sculpture is a meditation on the sum being more than its parts. Specifically, its five elements focus on the five members of the Miles Davis quartet from the late 50s, and how they coalesced to make music as a group beyond their individual abilities. It is also about our powers as individuals to do the same, to unite with others to rise above our situations and propel ourselves upward. *Wisconsin Artist

South side of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts at the Peck Pavilion
This contemporary piece was installed to coincide with the construction of Milwaukee's Performing Arts Center, now the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. This striking sculpture is a memorial tribute from the daughters of the A.P. Rosenberg family to their parents.

East Riverbank between State Street and Kilbourn Avenue behind the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
Milwaukee's Allen-Bradley Company commissioned this abstract work by nationally renowned American artist Seymour Lipton in memory of company founder and community philanthropist, Harry Lynde Bradley.

Outside of City Hall Apartments
Painted aluminum girders in a continuous asymmetrical design. *Wisconsin Artist.

Along the Highland Street Bridge
Artist John Ready created the collection, "River Gems," entirely from repurposed materials, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the RiverWalk in 2009. The sculptures resemble "earrings" that hang from the light poles along this pedestrian bridge. *Wisconsin Artist

Lakefront Brewery
71 stainless steel kegs were attached in a haphazard manner to two walls of the brewery, as if a tornado came through and whisked them up and about. Each keg is wrapped with a programmable LED light, so together, they provide a light show upon command.