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NEAR & FAR:

The Story Behind the Glasses

Near and Far is more than a sculpture — it’s a lens into the legacy of Andrew Wadsworth. His vision for Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, his service on the Neighborhood Association, and his love for community live on in this piece. Led by Brandon Minga and the House of RAD, the project took over a year of design, collaboration, and craft to bring Andrew’s iconic glasses to monumental scale.

The First Conversation

It began with a meeting over a year ago. Brandon sat down with Tracey Wadsworth, Andrew’s widow and a long-time Third Ward resident, to imagine how Andrew’s legacy could be honored in Catalano Square. Measuring the space was the first step in framing a vision that could hold both scale and story.

From Glasses to Sculpture

Andrew’s original pair of glasses became the inspiration and literal foundation for the work. Using 3D scanning technology, the frames were captured in detail, then deconstructed and reimagined into a structural model. Lily Luft worked alongside Brandon to translate the design into engineering reality — scaling up the frames while preserving their soul.

Building the Vision

The fabrication was a collective effort. With the expertise of Jackson LaHeigh, Stephen Anderson, and the House of RAD team, the glasses took shape piece by piece. Sandblasting and powder coating techniques gave the steel its finish — a process as durable and luminous as the vision it represents.

Digital + Visual Storytelling

Alongside the sculpture, the story itself was preserved. Video, digital design, and production led by Pam Nanét and Stephen Anderson documented each phase — ensuring that the making of "Near and Far" would inspire just as much as its final form.

Inauguration Day

Exactly one year and a day after the first site measurements, Near and Far was unveiled in Catalano Square. More than a monument, the work is a metaphor: Andrew’s vision stretched both near and far — shaping what we see today and what lies ahead for the Third Ward.

NEW Location

324 N 12th ST, Milwaukee, WI

Original Location

900 E Keefe Ave, Milwaukee, WI

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