Bronze Fonz, Milwaukee

The Bronze Fonz is a public artwork by American artist Gerald P. Sawyer located on the Milwaukee Riverwalk just south of Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bronze Fonz depicts Henry Winkler as the Happy Days TV show character Arthur Fonzarelli, also known as the Fonz. Fonzie stands in his typical costume, which consists of a leather jacket and jeans. He is giving a two-handed thumbs up.DescriptionThe Bronze Fonz is made of bronze. The sculpture depicts Henry Winkler, the actor who played Fonz in the show Happy Days. Happy Days, which aired in the 1970s, was a sitcom about a family in 1950s/1960s Milwaukee. Arthur Fonzarelli (also known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz"), wears a leather jacket and jeans. He is giving a two handed thumbs up, a gesture he often made in Happy Days. The inscription lists all of the donors that made the Bronze Fonz possible.HistoryThe artwork was created with the purpose of bringing tourism and new businesses to Milwaukee. Other places in the United States have erected statues portraying 1950s and 1960s television characters. Examples include: Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards from The Mary Tyler Moore Show in Minneapolis and Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden from The Honeymooners outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. The tourism group Visit Milwaukee raised over US$85,000 to commission the Bronze Fonz. The popular sculpture was unveiled on August 18, 2008. Most of the Happy Days cast, including Henry Winkler (Fonzie) Marion Ross (Mrs. Cunningham), Tom Bosley (Mr. Cunningham), Erin Moran (Joanie), Don Most (Ralph Malph), and Anson Williams (Potsie), attended the dedication ceremony. Henry Winkler stated that the statue was "unbelievable".

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