This renowned sculptor, currently turning the old Hollywood sign into collectible art, can now be viewed in Monmouth County at a unique venue outside the typical gallery experience

by Laura D.C. Kolnoski

Thought-provoking artwork by Minnesota’s Bill Mack includes his piece “Lady,” part of the permanent collection of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. His sculpture of basketball’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hangs in the NBA Hall of Fame. Mack’s depiction of Lyle Alzado is at the NFL Hall of Fame, and his sculpture of Peggy Fleming is on display at the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Shown in galleries worldwide, Mack’s art has a following that includes former President Bill Clinton and Sylvester Stallone.

He is possibly best known as the man who purchased the giant dilapidated letters of the original Hollywood sign, using the metal as a canvas for portraits of Tinseltown icons. He acquired the sign in 2007 and has been working on it since, some portions commissioned for a list of Hollywood greats. A documentary on the project is nearing completion, narrated by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin. Another key figure in the history of the Hollywood sign, Alice Cooper, is also in the film.

“Alice was instrumental in spearheading the restoration efforts,” Mack said. “He was one of the initial people who felt it was time to replace the sign after he saw an ‘O’ falling over while driving by.” Originally built in 1923 for $21,000 to promote a residential development called Hollywood land, the sign was declared a landmark by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Board in 1973, but its deterioration continued. A “Save the Sign” campaign was launched thereafter, supported by Cooper (who donated in the name of Groucho Marx), Hugh Hefner, Gene Autry, Andy Williams, and others, raising over $250,000. When a replica was unveiled in 1978, the original sign was removed and placed in storage, where it remained until it was purchased by Mack in 2007. Already an avid collector of Hollywood and other memorabilia, Mack had just sold the Cowardly Lion costume from the Wizard of Oz. His collections include original works by Chagall, Picasso, and fellow Minnesotan LeRoy Neiman, along with presidential letters written by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, among others. The lion costume worn by Bert Lahr is one of many film costumes he has owned.

“I thought that was the Holy Grail because there was only one,” he said. “Then the Hollywood sign came along.”

So far, Mack has restored eight of the original letters. Private commissions have included paintings of Louis Armstrong and Marilyn Monroe. “People have sensitivity for certain Hollywood stars. There will be an end to it. When it’s over, it’s over. In the beginning, I was primarily a sculptor. The painting aspect came with the Hollywood sign.” Some of the metal is still available for commissions, he added. At 17, while working as a draftsman making bronze tablets, a poor quality relief portrait arrived. Mack thought he could do better. When his creation was accepted, he quit his job and began a career as a commissioned relief sculptor. In addition to sculpting Bicentennial medals for Minnesota, St. Louis, and Baltimore, he produced works for corporations including General Motors, Pillsbury, and 3M. In the early 1980s, Mack entered the gallery world with alto relief sculptures, working in different materials and trying new methods to create unique techniques—ones that went beyond bas relief.

“Bas relief refers to low-relief sculpture,” Mack said. “My art has more physical depth. It incorporates various elements rising toward the viewer.”

His works are exhibited in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Tokyo, Frankfurt, and at galleries in Las Vegas and Key West, where they were first found by Ted Kutzin, a Monmouth County art collector and co-owner of Red Bank’s Gotham Lounge. Kutzin displays Mack’s works at his distinctive restaurant/speakeasy/nightclub.

“I buy what I like and I like his art,” Kutzin said. “Bill’s art is a perfect fit for Gotham. It has a mysterious and sensual look to it. He’s one of the best I know of in bas and alto relief. That type of art is interesting to me. The reception has been incredible. We didn’t realize what would happen with the art, but it made the place and put it over the top.”