Sunday, November 3, 2024

Dear Dad,

I’m hoping this letter might have wings to find its way to you.

Remember our Sundays and your stories over lunch after church? And how much fun (mostly) we had working on the book about your architecture, faith, family and adventures?

I always felt badly I didn’t do a better job marketing Conversations with Dad, but after you died it just wasn’t the same without you. I liked giving it away. And anyway, you were the one who said you never marketed your work. You were too busy with the next design. So…a chip off the old block maybe? But guess what?

Do you recognize the pictures? After all these years, seven to be exact, Eric Vogel discovered Conversations and it’s really helped him with his research on Mid-Century Modern Architecture.

Last week, he did a presentation at the Milwaukee Public Library on “Daring” Hyperbolic Paraboloid Mid-Century Churches.” He invited Todd and me and we were both moved to tears. It was all about your work! We had no idea you’d be the focus of the talk. As it turned out, we wished more family and friends could have been there, but Eric said not to worry, he’ll do it again. Maybe at one of your churches!

As I listened to him, what I realized is it’s one thing to hear you talk about your work and quite another to hear someone else talk about it:

“Wenzler used poetic psychological and religious terms as a kind of design language that utilized specific structural features and techniques. He clearly intended to manifest his intentions about spiritual practice through structural expression.” Beautiful, right?

“…his intentions were also cultural and political, including roof designs that would symbolize equality and freedom of expression through technology.”

Eric is a scholar in residence at the Talieson Institute in Arizona (thru 2025). He’s a designer/educator/architectural historian, former chair of the 3D Design Department at MIAD and the perfect person to share your stories and designs. He is currently editing a book on Milwaukee’s 20th century architectural history entitled, Milwaukee Moderns.

He said Conversations was a great resource, as were all the shop drawings and sketches with your design thoughts and exclamation points (!) when things came together for you in the wee hours of the morning. When you were alone at the office and you’d receive “Divine inspiration”, as you called it. He’s so grateful that we were able to save those so the Library could scan it all in for their Wisconsin Architectural Archive founded by Architect Thomas Eschweiler. Oh, he thanked us. And we’re thankful to Bob Greenstreet for his guidance in that!

You’d be so happy to know about the work being done to preserve the buildings—Eric serves as president of President of DOCOMOMO (Documentation and Conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement) “celebrating, advocatting and networking on behalf of Modern Landmarks to ensure they are preserved and thoughtfully repurposed for future generations.”

Isn’t it interesting that when you were an architect, you thought secular spaces could be used quite efficiently for churches. Your peers told you it was “architectural suicide” to tell your clients they should use their money for ministry instead of buildings. But that didn’t stop you. And now, churches are standing empty so Eric and his team seek to find effective secular usage for these sacred spaces, so that buildings, like yours, can be well-maintained and cared for. Awesome, right?

Remember how you used to always say, “Just keep loving the Lord and remain humble”? Those were your best words of advice, simple and clear. When I do my best to follow it (and Jesus) I keep learning that God takes care of the rest!

I’ve attached some of Todd’s photos from the evening and slides of Eric’s presentation with Andy Hope, author of Architecture of Faith Milwaukee who is currently working on the chapter about your hyperbolic paraboloid churches.

I guess that’s pretty much what I had to say. Mostly, that God works in such remarkable ways. We only need to realize it, trust, read the Word, listen, pay attention, and give thanks, every day, just as you would always say.

For all I know, you, Mom and Ed were there at the Milwaukee Public Library with us last week! It sure felt like you were.  

P. S. Remember that box you kept in the entryway of your condo near the end of your life? You told me anything anyone needed to know about your work was in that box. It’s been in the attic all these years and I’ll be passing it on to Eric now. Also, all the metal cases of your slides will be going to David Erickson to be digitally scanned. I’ve worried about both those things and now I’m free.

P.S.S. Look what I found on Karl (I wear Mom’s wedding ring that he designed and John wears yours.)

And finally, a couple comments from my Facebook post about all this: