Local artist's estate gifts $500K to revitalize Sherwood public library

The London Public Library (LPL) has received a half-a-million dollar donation from the estate of renowned local artist Rudy Sparkuhl that will help refurbish its Sherwood branch in the city's northwest. 

The $500,000 contribution will also go toward the creation of a common gathering area for community members, library officials announced on Wednesday, calling it a "transformative gift". 

"I've never seen this level of generosity from one individual," said LPL CEO Michael Ciccone. "We're really proud to be able to put this large donation toward a branch that really needed support and is so important to this community." 

The branch, inside the Sherwood Forest Mall, serves more than 36,000 patrons each year but has been partially closed since last July after it was significantly flooded. Construction on a $1.5 million renovation project began in January and is expected to wrap up by the end of summer.

Who was Rudy Sparkuhl

Rudolph 'Rudy' Sparkuhl was a full-time artist known for his photorealistic paintings, inspired by photos he'd take of scenes like buildings, streetcars, stairwells and others. His work was featured in Ontario galleries including Wortley Village's Westland Gallery, Quebec, the U.S. and England. 

"Rudy was highly understated, humble, had a dry sense of humour, a twinkle in his eye and marched to the tune of his own drum," said Shelley Biernbaum, who had been Sparkuhl's close friend for 45 years and was his brother's life partner. 

"He was very dedicated to his art. He was one of the few people who decided they were going to be a full-time artist right away and that's all he ever did. He was a quiet man but very talented."

Sparkuhl and his parents immigrated to Canada from Germany in 1957, when he was four-years-old and initially settled in Montreal, before making London their permanent home in 1989. He died in March, 2024 at age 71. 

Birenbaum said she believes Sparkuhl's appreciation for the knowledge and inspiration he found at libraries is the reason he donated such a large amount. 

"He frequented libraries a lot, he was a big fan of them and he loved education," said Birenbaum.

"Libraries were a place where he felt really comfortable, plus as an immigrant coming here with no money, they knew that was a place you could take out books and it didn't cost you anything. So I think they really appreciated the resources [libraries] bring to people who don't have the money."

To pay homage to Sparkuhl's legacy, the Sherwood library will display some of his paintings, including one of the former Hudson's Bay store in the Galleria, now known as CitiPlaza, and an image of the the mall's classic glass elevators. 

"It memorializes somebody whose art is fantastic and so intriguing but also what the library meant to Rudy to prompt him to donate this much money to it," said Ciccone. "I hope [Londoners] can look at those paintings and know how many individuals are out there like Rudy and how much the library touches them and improves their life."

Mayor Josh Morgan, who recently re-joined the library's board, said the branch is a special one because it serves a wide and diverse community, and he hopes Sparkhul's paintings will inspire youth to showcase their creativity while enjoying the revamped library when it reopens. 

"This branch serves Limberlost [a public housing complex] where families are not that well off. The library is a place for youth to access wonderful services, but now we'll get to see a showcased local artist inspiring creative talents in this community as well," he said. 

The library didn't get all the money it wanted during the city's multi-year budget, and struggled at the time to maintain facilities and services. However, this donation makes up for the shortfalls in its budget, Ciccone said.

A reopening date has not yet been announced.