Robert Indiana’s LOVE Sculpture to be Temporarily Removed for Conservation
PHILADELPHIA -The City of Philadelphia’s Public Art Program will manage the removal and restoration of the iconic artist Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture (1976) before it is returned to its permanent home on John F. Kennedy Plaza, also affectionately known by Philadelphians as LOVE Park. The final full day the LOVE sculpture will be on view will be February 14, 2017, Valentine’s Day, before it is moved on the morning of February 15. The LOVE sculpture will return to its original home, JFK Plaza in Summer 2017.
Since February 2016, the LOVE sculpture has made its temporary home on Dilworth Park. In light of the renovations to JFK Plaza, which required the LOVE sculpture to be moved from the site, the City of Philadelphia’s Public Art Program and Center City District worked together to keep the beloved sculpture on view during the renovations.The site of Dilworth Park was chosen because of its proximity to the sculpture’s original location, across the street from JFK Plaza/LOVE Park, and its capacity to accommodate the large numbers of people that visit the sculpture.
“The Center City District has been extremely pleased to temporarily host the LOVE sculpture in Dilworth Park, providing a place for workers, residents, visitors and students to enjoy the artwork that is so closely identified with our city,” said Paul R. Levy, President and CEO of the Center City District. “We look forward to seeing it again soon in its refurbished state at the new LOVE Park.”
After a year on view at Dilworth Park, the LOVE sculpture and pedestal will be removed from the park by George Young Rigging Company and the conservation team of Materials Conservation, LLC. Once it is moved off-site, the conservators will strip all of the paint from the sculpture and will apply an anticorrosion primer to the surface. The LOVE sculpture will then be repainted in its iconic red, blue and green paint, followed by the application of a clear protective coating. The sculpture will then be allowed to sit for several weeks to allow the coatings to dry and harden before being reinstalled in JFK Plaza.
“Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE sculpture was last refurbished in 1998 and is again in need of a full conservation treatment,” said Margot Berg, Public Art Director of the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. “As stewards of this beloved symbol of Philadelphia, we look forward to its return to public view at JFK Plaza, within sight of LOVE’s new companion piece by Indiana, AMOR, at Sister Cities Park.”
For updates on the restoration of the LOVE sculpture, please visit the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy’s website, www.CreativePHL.org, and follow along the progress on Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter @CreativePHL and Instagram @CreativePHL.
About City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy
The mission of the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is to support and promote arts, culture and the creative industries; and to develop partnerships and coordinate efforts that weave arts, culture and creativity into the economic and social fabric of the City. For more information about the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, visit: www.CreativePHL.org, Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter @CreativePHL and Instagram @CreativePHL.
About the Artist
Born in 1928, American artist Robert Indiana is among the most universally recognized figures associated with the Pop art movement. His bold images are represented in public and private collections around the world, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art. For more information about Robert Indiana, visit www.robertindiana.com.