User:Katekopp/Drafts

Hermes is a public artwork by an unknown Roman artist, located on 2200 North Terrace Avenue, which is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Description
marble, 8' high - antique Roman statue of Hermes (messenger of the Gods). Hermes stands in the courtyard of the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum.

Historical information
Hermes was purchased from Italy over a hundred years ago. After being purchased by a private New York collector, the statue was on loan in Williamstown, Massachuestts until the 1920s. The Garden Club purchased the statue for 10,000 and commissioned a local sculptor, Dick Wiken to create the decorative bronze pedestal for Hermes. The pedestal is designed with four lion heads and water jets with a pool surrounding the statue.

Acquisition
The Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum is located on 2200 North Terrace Avenue in Milwaukee, WI. Originally named Sopra Mare, the Italian Renaissance villa style home was built in 1922 for the family of Lloyd Raymond Smith by Chicago architect David Adler. This home was private until 1966 when Milwaukee County received the villa as a bequest of Smith's grandmother. The following year the facility opened the building to the public as the Decorative Arts Museum. In order to enhance the museum The Garden Club renovated the courtyard.