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The city will mark the return of Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE sculpture to its rightful home with a procession through Philadelphia.
Billy Penn got the early word that the iconic sculpture will make a grand tour before finally landing at 16th and JFK, where it will be installed on its granite pedestal and again become one of the region’s most popular photo destinations.
Love Park has been missing its namesake artwork since February of last year, when the revamp of the space (which is officially called John F. Kennedy Plaza), presented an opportunity to get the beloved monument refurbished.
A few months after the sculpture was removed, it made a surprise showing at a wedding in Kensington.
In November, the Office of Arts and Culture made the surprising discovery that the parts of the Robert Indiana piece that had recently been blue were actually supposed to be purple. It was an issue with mixed up “paint codes,” the city told Billy Penn.
Later that month, an offering of a LOVE replica keepsake made of the former park’s granite had to be called off at the last minute because of copyright issues. Those keepsakes were never actually released, but at least now Philadelphians will have the real deal back — just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Officials note that the full installation at the park is likely to take several days, or even weeks.
Parade details
The mini parade, which will show off the newly gleaming structure as it rolls through various parts of the city, will be called “LOVE on the Move.”
It’ll make six stops before it lands at the finish point, at various other iconic Philly sculptures and monuments. At each one, officials will allow a short time for photos.
Things kick off at 10 a.m. Feb. 13 at 25th Street and Pennsylvania Ave., near the Art Museum. Here’s the full itinerary:
- 10:00 a.m. – Joan of Arc, 25th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
- 10:10 a.m. – Washington Monument at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eakins Oval
- 10:20 a.m. – All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors, 20th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 10:30 a.m. – Swann Memorial Fountain, Logan Square
- 10:45 a.m. – AMOR, 18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 11:00 a.m. – Monument to Six Million Jewish Martyrs, 16th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 11:15 a.m. – Arrival at JFK Plaza/LOVE Park for installation
