Downtown buzzing about GuitarTown designation

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As part of the Gibson GuitarTown display in Nashville, Tenn., this 10-foot tall guitar was inspired by the late Les Paul. In honor of Paul, known as the "Wizard of Waukesha," and to celebrate its arts and music tradition, the City of Waukesha has also been named a Gibson GuitarTown city. Photo By Gibson Guitar

There's a buzz around downtown Waukesha.

And there's an energy surfacing the streets with a sense of anticipation.

It has been a little more than two weeks since it was announced that Waukesha will officially join London, Nashville, Los Angeles and Austin, among others as the latest Gibson GuitarTown Projects, but the aura still hasn't worn off.

"This is something to be proud of and we're just over the moon about it," said Lynn Gaffey, owner of Almont Gallery, 342 W. Main St.

Norm Bruce, owner of Martha Merrell's Books & Cafe in downtown and the president of the Waukesha Business Improvement District, couldn't have agreed more and wants everyone to realize what a big deal this is for the city.

"This is a fantastic idea," Bruce said. "I think the excitement is building. It's just so special, but I think people are not quite grasping the significance of the GuitarTown idea and what it's going to do for us.

Guitar party

The big event is June 1 when 20 Les Paul fiberglass guitars - 10 of which will be 10-foot tall - are set to be unveiled at various locations throughout the downtown area.

It's a week before Paul's birthday and the first day of the Friday Night Live summer music festival. On that day, all eyes - at least those affiliated with the music industry - will be on the City of Waukesha.

Major officials with Gibson Guitar (based in Nashville) will be on hand. Notables in the music business might also attend as well as music enthusiasts and Les Paul fans, just as they were at the Prairie Home Cemetery last September when the Les Paul memorial was revealed at his grave site.

"It should be as electric as Les Paul's life," local artist and developer Jeff Seymour said. "It will be an incredible event. It's sponsored by Gibson and I'm sure they know how to throw great parties.

"It could be a huge thing certainly from the standpoint of tourism. What's cool is it's going to attract everyone from the average person to celebrities. When people hear about this and see us listed next to London, it's crazy."

Seymour's idea

If Les Paul had not been born in Waukesha and had such an influence on the music industry, none of this would happen. But Waukesha receiving this recognition can be traced back to Seymour. As members of the Waukesha West End Artists, Seymour said he and Gaffey were looking for a "guitar-focused project for downtown to honor one of Waukesha's most famous visionaries."

Seymour, who started the popular downtown art crawls 15 years ago, searched the Internet and ran into the Gibson GuitarTown website last year.

"He was like, 'That would be perfect for Waukesha!' " Gaffey recalled.

The idea was then presented to Mayor Jeff Scrima.

"Our mayor is extremely proactive in supporting the arts, and I knew he would be excited about this and would want to pursue this," Seymour said. "I think he handled it very well in helping turn it from an idea into a reality."

Everyone on board

As did Gibson Guitar CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, who heard Scrima's proposition and agreed it would be a perfect fit for Waukesha.

"It's always great to have an idea, but it doesn't do much if others aren't on board and help it get going," Seymour said. "It started as a search to help beautify and invigorate the town and to find something that represents the city and to unite the community. It turned into something so much bigger than I could have imagined."

A steering committee has now been formed to get the ball rolling because, as Gaffey says, "It's a short time frame and this is a huge thing to pull together in a short period of time, but it's a gigantic opportunity."

In addition to Gaffey and Bruce, Scrima picked the other committee members: Waukesha State Bank President Ty Taylor, former judge and plan commissioner Rick Congdon; former alderman and Public Art Advisory Committee member Charles Lichtie and Board of Public Works representative Steve Kassens.

The Waukesha Business Improvement District, the Waukesha Downtown Business Association and the West End Artists showed its support for the project by unanimously approving it.

"Everybody is really excited about it," Gaffey said. "All think it is a really good idea."

She added other committees such as the Board of Public Works and the Common Council eventually have to review the project and decide on locations for the guitars, which Gaffey said will be primarily on Main Street.

Looking for artists

The committee is seeking 20 artists as well as sponsors.

Gaffey said one sponsor is quite "sizable" while Seymour added, "It's a way for companies to get involved in the future of Waukesha."

They have gotten many applications from artists and Seymour said interested artists should contact members of the steering committee with sketches.

Although 20 are planned, Seymour said, if it's a success, he could see more placed along the Riverwalk.

Gaffey also said that any extra funds raised would go to a couple charities including to the interactive Les Paul exhibit at the Waukesha County Museum.

Seymour said over the next few months the 10-foot tall guitars will be designed here, while the regular sized guitars get transported back to Nashville to get strings attached to them before they are returned to Waukesha.

And while many of the guitars usually are auctioned off in the other cities, Gaffey and Seymour said the committee is looking into having them be on display permanently as part of a walking tour.

"I think that is key to making this successful," Seymour said. "We want them to stay here and want everyone to enjoy this."

Gaffey and Bruce are also confident that, despite being on display in downtown, people will respect the public works of art.

"We got other public art and people have really steered away from that," Bruce said of vandalism. "I don't think we'll have a problem with that. We're a close community and see this an exciting thing for the community."

Building a brand

Gaffey and others on the committee see the guitar project as a way to enhance the city's image as an arts and music community.

"With this (project), Waukesha is going to be more of a destination than we already are," Gaffey said. "It will be something that we will look at to further brand us as a city. It could get more tourists here.

"We got something special here. We got Les Paul and we need to capitalize on that."

Bruce added: "It's going to reshape the image of Waukesha. I think it will be something where people say, 'Hey we're the birth- and resting-place of Les Paul and we need to have that as our brand and we have to help push the Les Paul museum piece, because that can also be the same thing for us, as the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is for that city."

For Seymour, it all boils down to finding that identity and bringing more people to Waukesha.

"Waukesha has been searching for that something we have as our own," Seymour said. "And the goal of every downtown is to get people to come and see what they have to offer and I think this will help get this attention.

"We are a great small town city and we're connected to the heart of America. We have a lot to offer in terms of great energy, great music, a great arts, great people, and I think Gibson recognized that and made a great decision."