Brookfield Library - Guido Brink Sculpture

Updated March 7, 2008

The project was approved at the Common Council meeting of March 4, 2008.

Ald. Berg presented a PowerPoint explaining the proposal. Click here to download (PDF, 7pp, 600k)

The Brookfield Library has a piece of world class sculpture that has fallen into disrepair and obscurity. It is called Unfolding Red and is by noted Milwaukee artist Guido Brink. A local volunteer group, Friends of the Brookfield Library, has selected the restoration and relocation of the sculpture as a project. It's running into opposition.

Here are some photos of the sculpture as it exists today. It is located next to the "east side parking lot", which is a polite way of saying the employee parking lot between the library and Central High School. The only way residents can see it well is to go to the reading area on the far east side of the main book stacks.


Sculpture in its current location on the east side of the building. I added the yellow arrow to help you find this treasure. Note the inviting sign, "Restricted Parking Only".	This is a closer view of the sculpture. You can see the windows on the east side reading area. Even in the winter, with no leaves on the nearby trees, it's hard to see it well.

A close up of the sculpture, roughly as it appears from inside the library. Note the backdrop of west side high school parking .	A close up of the disrepair the sculpture has fallen into. The paint is supposed to be "tomato red", but it has faded and is peeling. Also, the tree branches are now rubbing against the metal.

The sculptor, Guido Brink, is a Milwaukee legend. Guido Brink (1913-2002) was born in Germany, studied in Europe and moved to Milwaukee in 1953. He was a cofounder of the Layton School of Art where he taught from 1955 to 1974. That school is a precursor to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD). The Brookfield Library's sculpture, Unfolding Red, was a 1973 donation in honor of a former library board member. It was located near the entrance of the library until 1990 when it was moved to the rear as part of the major library expansion. The Friends of the Library have arranged to refurbish and move the sculpture at no cost to the city. The money will be donated by a former student of Brink's and the Friends. The Friend's raise money through donations and a used book sale held at the Farmer's Market in August. The library also has some other donated money to support such projects, if needed.

There are several reasons for the west side location:

A major piece of art should be placed prominently for all to view, not just those visiting the library.
Since the 1990 remodeling, there is not enough room between the library main entrance and the parking lot (or book drop drive through) to allow the sculpture to be fully and easily viewed. If the parking lot is reconfigured to add spaces, there may be even less room for the sculpture.
When the sculpture was located by the main entrance it was vandalized. A part was stolen that would be replaced during the proposed restoration. Moving it away from traffic areas like sidewalks and parking lots will reduce the the likelihood of vandalism or accidents. The proposed location on the west (Calhoun Road) side is the required 50 feet away from the lot line and is about 15 feet from the building.
All expenses (over $4,000) will be paid with donated money. No tax dollars are involved.

The city regulates "structures" which includes outside sculpture. The primary regulation is a 50 foot setback, i.e. the "structure" must be at least 50 feet away from the edge of the property line. The Plan Review Board (PRB) considered this project twice.

Minutes of Library Board meeting of April 12, 2006

Aldermanic member Cindy Kilkenny failed to attend this meeting, thus failing to represent residents while she was still in office. Former Ald. Kilkenny made what I consider supportive comments regarding the move. e.g. "How does a community maintain any sense of class [supporting public art] when the leadership [Mayor Speaker] obviously lacks that very quality?"

Minutes of Plan Review Board meeting of August 23, 2007

Note the comment, "Mayor Speaker suggested that the sculpture be moved to the north side of the library, close to the entrance. Commissioner Donze agreed, adding that it will be more visible and there will be more interaction from patrons if it is located by the library entrance."

Minutes of Plan Review Board meeting of November 29, 2007

The heart of the resistance is on page 5, "Commissioner Wartman stressed that he is not comfortable with a sculpture that is not mainstream and placed in a very focal point in the city"

Minutes of the Common Council meeting of December 18, 2007

Final approval (or in this case, acceptance of the PRB rejection) always belongs to the Common Council. Ald. Berg pointed out that the PRB rejected the idea and the Library Board had not had a chance to meet to take a position on the topic. The item was tabled.

Thus, the three person PRB rejected the idea, the Plan Commission rubber stamped the item and the Council was about to do the same. So much for a wide involvement of elected leadership!

Minutes of the Library Board meeting of January 9, 2008

"There was agreement following Ald. Berg’s comments that the relocation proposal for the Brink sculpture was an opportunity to begin to address these broader issues, including taking a leadership role in community involvement and public art."

Minutes of the Common Council meeting of March 4, 2008

"Alderman Berg moved to amend the motion to move the sculpture to the west side of the Library (Calhoun Road). The amendment was seconded by Alderman Carnell and carried unanimously. The motion as amended carried unanimously."

Here is a rendering of what the sculpture might look like, fully restored to the original bright red and on the west (Calhoun Road) side of the library building. Please keep in mind that this is a photo composite and the actual coloring and location may vary slightly. Also, this rendering shows the "front" of the sculpture facing more towards the window than Calhoun Road.