I love this park and the sculpture. The word LOVE is done in a square of sorts, big giant letters, the L & O on top and the other letters underneath. The most important part of this is the O which is turned sort of on its side but not quite. This is what gives the sculpture its distinction. My friends @ Wikipedia tell me the image was originally designed as a Christmas card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964, and first exhibited as a sculpture in New York City in 1970. This original sculpture is made of COR-TEN steel and has been on exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art since 1975. Thanks WIki!
The LOVE design has been redone in different versions and all sorts of other colors. I have seen them in pictures all over the world. I like ours the best of course because it is right around the corner. Here is something a lot of folks do not know. This iconic statue was placed here in commemoration of the bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The LOVE sculpture is where the JFK plaza gets it better known name, LOVE park. Most Americans recognize this famous sculpture which was a stamp in the 70s and has remained a symbol of Center City Philadelphia. Thousands of people each week, in the warm months, post to have their picture taken with this iconic work of art. Originally created by artist Robert Indiana, the LOVE sculpture is now the subject of many Philadelphia souvenirs and marketing campaigns for the city. Beyond the sculpture, LOVE Park has both romantic and controversial connotations for many from the area.
Parking is available curbside at meters. I would avoid the garages unless you got forty dollars to throw away.
The following remarks comes from the Smithsonian inventory page: The SOS! survey and the Bach publication both note that the base medium is stainless steel, but earlier documentation notes that the base is made of wood. The LOVE design was first created as a painting in 1964 and soon became a popular image for jewelry, posters, plates, and postage stamps. The sculpture was first installed at John F. Kennedy Plaza on an extended loan for two years while the artist's New York gallery tried to sell it to the city of Philadelphia. When the gallery had a possible buyer in New York, it removed the sculpture and sent it back up to New York. Public outcry in Philadelphia over the missing sculpture was so great that a local businessman, F. Eugene Dixon, purchased the sculpture and donated it to the city. It was then reinstalled in John F. Kennedy Plaza.
And of course the description as well Four red-painted, block letters arranged two by two in a square to spell the word LOVE. The letters "L" and "O" are on the top and the letters "V" and "E" are on the bottom. The sculpture rests on a trapezoid-shaped base which is open in the middle.
LOVE Park is the brainchild of former Philadelphia City Planner Edmund Bacon and architect Vincent Kling. The park is across from City Hall and was designed as a terminus for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The park, which was designed by Vincent Kling, was built in 1965 and covers an underground parking garage.
There are three things this park is best known for, the LOVE sculpture, its fountain and skateboarding. The last has been very controversial as some politicians and lawmakers didn't want young punks wrecking up the place with their boards, but the old fogies saw the light and now they board everywhere. Today, LOVE Park is a celebrated venue for Street Skateboarding, a popular form of the sport that uses natural urban features, rather than manufactured ramps. Because of LOVE Park, Philadelphia was home to some of the world's top skateboarding professionals, and was the centerpiece of ESPN's X Games, making Philadelphia the only city to hold the Games twice in a row.
The fountain it dead center in the park, The park was built in 1967 and the fountain was added two years later in 1969. This is no wimpy fountain either, its got to shoot at least 30 feet into the air, probably more. There is a giant, concrete coping extending around the circumference where people sit and talk or dip their feet. Besides the single spout fountain the other notable feature are the curved, granite steps. Also at the park is a great visitor center. It opened up in May 2006 as The Fairmount Park Welcome Center. The park was dedicated in 1967 as John F. Kennedy Plaza after President John F. Kennedy.
n May 21, 2003 the Love Park fountain was dyed pink as a stunt by unknown individuals. It turned out that the dye was non-toxic and did not hurt the fountain. I remember hearing about this in my car on the way to work. Rather than make a big deal about the practical joke, Mayor John Street took advantage of it and the city began dying the fountain for other occasions, starting with the 4th of July, 2003.
The Love Park fountain is now often dyed colors throughout the year to commemorate or celebrate events. Regular colors have included:
Pink - kickoff for breast cancer awareness month (annually in October)
Blue - commemoration of police officer fatalities
Green - in honor of the Philadelphia Phillies winning the World Series, Phanatic Green- October 29, 2008 WOOHOO!!!!
Red - marketing event for Showtime's Dexter
The LOVE sculpture is where the JFK plaza gets it better-known name, LOVE park. Most Americans recognize this famous sculpture, which was a stamp in the 70s and has remained a symbol of Center City Philadelphia. Thousands of people each week, in the warm months, post to have their picture taken with this iconic work of art. Originally created by artist Robert Indiana, the LOVE sculpture is now the subject of many Philadelphia souvenirs and marketing campaigns for the city. Beyond the sculpture, LOVE Park has both romantic and controversial connotations for many from the area.