Explore the Acquisition about the History of this artwork, Bronze Fonz.
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, attended the dedication ceremony. Winkler referred to the statue as "unbelievable."
Don Most TV Land bronze Port Authority Bus Terminal Marion Ross Happy Days Tom Bosley Ron Howard Anson Williams Jackie Gleason Milwaukee The Mary Tyler Moore Show Bronze Erin Moran Andy Griffith The Honeymooners Mary Tyler Moore The Andy Griffith Show