TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Parks and Recreation Director
Martin Betz, Cultural Arts Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Discuss and Provide Direction on a Proposed Donation by Warren Lichtenstein of Robert Indiana’s “LOVE” Sculpture (Continued from the February 20, 2018 City Council Regular Meeting) (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
a) DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
b) CONSIDER FIVE-YEAR TERM LOAN
c) CONSIDER PROPOSED LOCATION
d) CONSIDER RESOLUTION NO. 18-0045
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve:
a) the acceptance of the five-year term loan by resident Warren Lichtenstein of Robert Indiana’s “LOVE” sculpture, and
b) placement of the sculpture at the middle of the South Pier parking lot on the bike path curve.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The fiscal impact of the project includes the transportation of the artwork from its current location to the site ($5,000 crane service), the construction of a concrete pedestal to hold the artwork ($8,000), and refurbishment of the site including installation of new bike racks and lighting ($12,000). The estimated cost of the overall project is $25,000 which is available in the Public Art Trust Fund.
BACKGROUND:
Acquired in 2015 by Manhattan Beach resident Warren Lichtenstein, the sculpture “LOVE” by Robert Indiana has been offered to the City as a five-year term loan. The sculpture is currently being stored in Redondo Beach and will be transported to the site.
Born Robert Clark in Indiana, Robert Indiana took his native state's name after moving to New York in 1954, a gesture that presaged his pop-inspired fascination with Americana, signage, and the power of ordinary words. In his studio on Coenties Slip at the tip of Manhattan, Indiana made assemblages of scrap materials and found objects, using stencils to introduce words into his art. By the early 1960s he was creating eye-popping paintings of text, numbers, and symbols that related to the hard-edge abstraction of the day, and included political and social overtones.
Few Pop images are more widely recognized than Indiana's “LOVE.” Originally designed as a Christmas card commissioned by The Museum of Modern Art in 1965, “LOVE” has appeared in prints, paintings, sculptures, banners, rings, tapestries, and stamps. Full of erotic, religious, autobiographical, and political underpinnings - especially when it was co-opted as an emblem of 1960s idealism - “LOVE” is both accessible and complex in meaning. In printed works, Indiana has rendered “LOVE” in a variety of colors, compositions, and techniques. He even translated it into Hebrew for a print and a sculpture at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
The “LOVE Sculpture” is the culmination of ten years of work based on the original premise that the word is an appropriated and usable element of art, just as Picasso and the Cubists made use of it at the beginning of the century, which evolved inevitably, in both my “LOVE” paintings and sculpture, into the concept that the word is also a fit and viable subject for art.
- Robert Indiana
Published in Art Now: New York, March 1969.
DISCUSSION:
In October of 2017, staff was approached by resident Warren Lichtenstein and offered a five-year term loan of his sculpture “LOVE” to the City of Manhattan Beach. Being one of the most iconic pieces of American sculpture and representing a truly positive image for the City to be associated with, staff recommends accepting the loan for a period of five years with an opportunity to renew for additional years by mutual agreement of both parties. Four potential locations were reviewed after extensive discussions with the lender (Attachment 1). Each present a unique set of challenges and benefits.
#1: End of lower South Pier parking lot (Attachment 2) (Recommended location). The benefits include high visibility heading north on the bike path and creates a good visual with the pier in the background. It allows for the maximum amount of space for visitors and photo opportunities. This location would require bike rack renovation and concrete work.
#2- Northwest end of lower South Pier parking lot (Attachment 3). The location would provide good access for the public, but does not have a much room for photo opportunities. It creates a good visual of the pier in the background. This location would require renovation and concrete work.
#3 - South driveway entrance to the lower South Pier parking lot (Attachment 4). This location would cause an ADA violation by encroaching on the ramp and impede working clearances for utilities boxes. The benefit would be high visibility walking down Manhattan Beach Boulevard towards the Pier. This location would require renovation and concrete work.
#4 - End of lower north Pier parking lot (Attachment 5). This location has had public safety concerns. Providing electrical to this location would be challenging. The location is also too close to the Lifeguard beach access and trash enclosure, and is not near pedestrian walkway access. The benefits include high visibility heading south on the bicycle path. This location would require renovation and concrete work.
Given these options, staff recommends that City Council approve the installation of the “LOVE” Sculpture at location #1. Location #1 provides the greatest benefit when compared to the other locations. There is direct public access from walkways and parking lot. It allows for optimal visitor space in the event of crowds. The North/South orientation allows for a visual experience optimal for “selfies” with the Pier in the background.
Due to timing of the installation and the prepping of the site, the sculpture will be temporarily moved from its location in Redondo Beach to the City Yard for storage. Once the site is ready, it will be placed. Staff estimates that the sculpture will be installed within 6 weeks of delivery.
The sculpture is fabricated with Corten Steel and has an uncoated surface with natural rusting. It measures 8 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 4 feet deep. The sculpture is insured up $50,000.00 per our standard agreement. The lender will insure the artwork for the total value of the sculpture estimated at 2-3 million dollars. If graffiti were to become an issue, it can be removed with standard high pressure water treatment.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
The project was discussed at the November 2017 Cultural Arts Commission meeting with unanimous support from the Commission.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Project is Categorically Exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Section 15303e, as construction of a small accessory structure serving an overall public beach facility; and Section 15304e, as a temporary minor alteration to developed land having no permanent effects on the environment.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 18-0045
2. Loan Agreement
3. LOVE Sculpture Proposed Location Overview
4. Proposed Location #1
5. Proposed Location #2
6. Proposed Location #3
7. Proposed Location #4
8. Coastal Development Permit Exemption