Coakley water tower sculpture joins Milwaukee night skyline
With the flip of switch Tuesday night, the Coakley Brothers water tower in Walker’s Point became a new part of Milwaukee’s nighttime skyline.
The tower, created by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based artist Tom Fruin, was commissioned by Peggy Coakley, the CEO of the family-owned business that focuses on office equipment and interiors, and moving and storage.
The mosaic structure, built from thousands of pieces of plexiglass, was designed in the shape of the water tower that once stood atop the sevenstory Coakley building, at 400 S. 2nd St. The tower stands 20 feet tall, is 20 feet in diameter and is visible from the High Rise and Hoan bridges and much of downtown and the south side.
Tuesday, the company threw a tower-lighting party that attracted several hundred people. Guests included Fruin, city officials, employees and folks from the neighborhood.
Coakley thanked city officials for their help in providing the necessary approvals for the structure to be erected, calling her dealings with City Hall “seamless.”
“They made it an enjoyable process,” Coakley said.
The piece of public art draws attention to the rapidly redeveloping Walker’s Point creative district. It also highlights the $6 million renovation of the Coakley building now underway.
Artist Fruin said the sculpture contains 60 panels and 4,475 plexiglass “windows” held together by 16,000 welded metal studs.
“In making this, I realized it is no longer mine,” he told the gathering. “It’s yours.”