Gilberts buy 17-foot-tall statue for Detroit's Campus Martius

A massive sculpture that borrows from one of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time is set to cast a large shadow in downtown Detroit.

A 17-foot bronze piece by acclaimed contemporary artist known as Kaws is set to be installed by Tuesday at the main entrance to One Campus Martius. It’s the latest high-profile acquisition by real estate magnate Dan Gilbert and his wife, Jennifer Gilbert.

The sculpture will be placed at the south side of the building as a permanent installation overlooking downtown’s Campus Martius Park.

Created over the span of a year on the East Coast and made from more than 2 tons of bronze, the statue, entitled “Waiting,” will be finished in black patina. With its sleek, modern look, towering size and place in contemporary art’s zeitgeist, there’s nothing quite like it in downtown Detroit.

To put its size into context, just head south on Woodward to see the 26-foot-tall bronze "Spirit of Detroit" by Marshall Fredericks, which stands just 8 feet taller than the soon-to-be-installed Kaws statue.

Unlike with the "Spirit of Detroit," the public will be able to touch and interact with “Waiting.”

It’s the first piece of work in Detroit for the Brooklyn-based artist Brian Donnelly, who, in the past 15 years, has cemented himself as a bona fide brand name in contemporary art under his alias Kaws.

The statue will also be the first time Donnelly’s signature “Companion” figures — think Mickey Mouse action figures in form but featuring skull-and-crossbones faces with crossed-out eyes — have been arranged to resemble a parent and child caught in a moment of pause. Its installation in Detroit will likely draw attention from art world watchers nationwide.

The cost of the statue was not released, but other Kaws works sold at auction provide an idea of the possible value of “Waiting.” While the notoriety around Donnelly’s work as Kaws has grown, so have the price tags for his work. Even some of Donnelly’s smaller acrylic on canvas paintings can fetch $400,000 at auction; one painting sold earlier this year for more than $1.2 million. Smaller statues made from less expensive materials like resin or wood have sold for more than $350,000.

Starting his career as a graffiti writer in New Jersey before heading to New York City in the early 1990s, Donnelly is known for street-art beginnings and pop-art influences. His background in animation and affinity for vinyl toy design have set him apart from his contemporaries.

Donnelly’s work has appeared everywhere from subway advertisements to galleries and museums around the globe — and even as a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, demonstrating the range of his work and the ubiquitousness of street artists working in mainstream channels today.

“I’m excited to bring my newest large-scale sculpture ‘Waiting’ to Detroit,” said Donnelly via written statement. “Detroit has an incredible cultural history and I’m proud to have my work permanently displayed in the city.”

Donnelly will be in attendance for a public unveiling of the statue at 6 p.m. Tuesday outside of One Campus Martius.

“Waiting” is another high-profile acquisition by real estate magnate Gilbert and his wife, who purchased the statue for their growing Detroit Art Collection — a wide-ranging portfolio of immersive installations and public art that span Bedrock’s real estate portfolio downtown. The previously most high-profile piece commissioned by Gilbert — a 184-foot-by-60-foot mural by street artist Shepard Fairey — is on the opposite side of the same building where Kaws’ new work will be installed.

“It is very important to us that the works we choose for the collection are both approachable and strategically located where everyone can enjoy them,” said Jennifer Gilbert via written statement. “We chose One Campus Martius as the location for 'Waiting' because it is in the heart of the action, where the sculpture can become synonymous with downtown’s momentum.”

Acquired with the help of contemporary art gallery Library Street Collective, which regularly collaborates on Bedrock-led art initiatives downtown, the Gilbert’s downtown art collection is wide-ranging and represents a sizable financial commitment.

Pieces range from the Fairey mural to the nearby Wayfinding skate park overseen by legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk to the Belt Alley — an immersive re-imagining of a public alley into a pedestrian destination for art, entertainment and dining.

The collection was officially started just two years ago but dates to the construction of the Z Garage parking garage in 2013, which enlisted 27 acclaimed artists to paint the interior walls of the garage with original works of art.

