THE EXPERT EYE

By Julia Guerrero

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC ART, THE IMPORTANT WORK OF CONSERVATION IS OFTEN INVISIBLE. FOUR EXPERTS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON THE HARD WORK IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN THE CITY’S BELOVED PUBLIC WORKS.

I keep two industrial paint drawdown samples in my office. Both are labeled “di Suverored” — the iconic bright red hue that is a signature of many Mark di Suvero sculptures. Both are part of a multi-step industrial paint system. And at first glance, both nearly identical. But only one is the right one.

Years ago, I was helping to lead the conservation treatment of Iroquois, di Suvero’s monumental bright red sculpture on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Our team of conservators was proposing a new industrial paint system — one that would hold its color longer, no small feat given how quickly red paint fades. The paint manufacturer created a sample of “di Suvero Red” using the original color formula from when the sculpture was originally painted and sent it along for review.

When the sample reached Penny Bach, former executive director of the Association for Public Art (the owners and the stewards of the sculpture), she knew immediately that something was off. Technically, the paint matched the formula. But the color wasn’t quite right. It needed a little more orange, she said. And she was right. At that point, the sculpture’s surface had faded to a chalky pink, so matching the sample to the existing finish wasn’t possible. But Penny knew the color by heart. She had lived with it, cared for it, seen it in all kinds of light, through years of weather, wear and change.

What followed was a small parade of paint specialists: spectrometer readings, technical consultations, binders of finish samples. In the end, it wasn’t a machine or a formula that gave us the answer. It was an expert eye; shaped by decades of looking closely, caring deeply and living with the work over time and through rain and sun, through fading and repair, and in the presence of the public who claimed it as part of their city. 

I think about that moment often. Not because it was a technical puzzle, but because it revealed something deeper about how public art is understood, cared for and ultimately sustained. As someone whose work often intersects with art conservation and collection management, I am continually struck by the depth of knowledge held by the people who care for Philadelphia’s public art long after the design and installation phases are complete. These are the conservators, collection managers and stewards whose work is most successful when it is nearly invisible and when little appears to change at all.

What do these expert eyes see that others may miss? What does stewardship teach us about time, material, memory and the ways people actually use public space? And what might architects and designers learn by listening more closely to those who live with the consequences of early design decisions for decades?

The essays that follow offer a view of public art not at the moment of unveiling, but over years of exposure, touch, protest, celebration and care. Together, they illuminate the quiet labor that sustains these pieces and invite designers to consider stewardship not as an afterthought, but as an essential part of the design process of the artwork itself.

If expertise begins with seeing clearly, stewardship begins with care year after year.

SITE UNSEEN: THE INVISIBLE WORK OF PUBLIC ART STEWARDSHIP 

By Laura Griffith, Public Art Collection Manager

Deputy Executive Director, the Association for Public Art

Operating perhaps the longest continuous ongoing annual outdoor sculpture conservation maintenance program in the nation (since 1982), the Association for Public Art (aPA) is uniquely qualified to address the topic of public art stewardship. Outdoor sculpture conservation professionals and programs are the unsung heroes of the public art field because they keep the artworks alive and looking good over time. When conservation maintenance is adhered to regularly, this work is not noticeable because the artworks look the same year after year with no perceptible changes. However, without preventative maintenance programs, things can fall apart and become aesthetically compromised, interfering with how the artist’s vision is conveyed.

In addition to ongoing conservation maintenance, aPA deals with all sorts of other outdoor sculpture emergencies and more comprehensive treatments, from graffiti removal, to replacing missing mortar and broken pieces, repairing fallen tree branch damage and renewing protective surface coatings — not to mention pranks, including a real pumpkin placed over a sculpture’s head. Detectives have also been involved when works have been stolen from their sites and needed to be tracked down, such as the 1991 theft of The Wrestlers from its former site outside Memorial Hall. Though the work may not always be highly visible, it is certainly never dull!

Through it all, conservation professionals have tirelessly and quickly responded to our calls for assistance to help keep Philadelphia’s public art in good condition. Without this “invisible” work Philadelphia would not continue to have one of the country’s finest public art collections — something we can all enjoy today and for future generations.

LAURA GRIFFITH is the Deputy Director of the Association for Public Art (aPA, formerly Fairmount Park Art Association), a position she has held since 1990. Griffith oversees aPA’s collections management and its ongoing annual conservation program, which received the 2000 award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections from Heritage Preservation and the American Institute for Conservation.

Public art is not only material. It carries deep meaning, shaped by communities, both when the art is created and when it is interpreted over time.

PUBLIC ART CONSERVATION AS CULTURAL STEWARDSHIP

By Marco Federico, Conservator

Founding Principal, Heritage Conservation Collective 

My firm, Heritage Conservation Collective, provides conservation services for public art in Philadelphia. This work most often includes assessing the current condition of a piece to understand how its internal and external surfaces are aging and then recommending and executing treatments that will preserve the art for future generations. And while much of our work exists in the material realm of bronze, stone and plaster (to name a few), ourwork is not limited to that.

Many of the pieces that we treat are decades old, and while the art may have remainedmore or less the same, the communities that surround them have changed. Today’scommunity may see a public work of art through an entirely different set of eyes,changing the meaning of the art. HCC works in close partnership with public art owners,and part of that includes the sometimes-overlooked idea of community connection andhow the public engages with public art. The conservation of public art includes not onlythe treatment itself but also factors in how the piece exists within its context — when itwas designed, how it was installed and how it has changed over time.

A recent example is the Decline and Rise sculpture by Harold Kimmelman, installed in 1969 in the West Mill Creek area of West Philadelphia. The sculpture commemorates a tragic housing disaster that occurred as a result of the West Mill Creek sewer collapse in the 1960s. While there are still community members that can recall this event, new residents may interpret the piece very differently. Affectionately called “French Fries” or “The Dominoes,” the history of the sculpture can get lost in translation as the neighborhood continues to grow and change. 

As part of the redesign, we are working with artist Miguel Horn to create interpretive signage that pays homage to the history of the area and will provide fresh context for the piece. There are many more factors we consider when embarking on sculpture conservation than one may assume. These different layers add to the complexity of the project and new ways of seeing the art and the community where it is located.

MARCO FEDERICO is a founding partner of Heritage Conservation Collective and a member ofthe American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. He specializes in theconservation of stone, cementitious and masonry materials.

If stewardship happens over decades, design decisions happen at the beginning, and their impact lasts.

PUBLIC ART WILL BE TOUCHED. DESIGN ACCORDINGLY.

By Adam Jenkins, Conservator

Founding Principal, Adam Jenkins Conservation Services, LLC 

By its nature, public art invites human interaction. People touch it. Children climb it. Some surfaces are worn to a high polish by thousands of hands each week, and others are scratched by sand carried on shoes or zippers brushing against metal. This interaction, welcomed or not, becomes part of the life of a public artwork.

What is less widely discussed is how much of this interaction can be anticipated, shaped and thoughtfully managed through design, particularly at the point of installation. A sculpture that is merely difficult to climb often becomes a challenge. If it is genuinely annoying to climb, it tends to be climbed far less. These decisions, largely invisible to the public, can dramatically extend a work’s lifespan.

A beloved local example illustrates this dynamic clearly: Billy, the billy goat sculpture by Albert Laessle in Rittenhouse Square. Installed on a low pedestal in a quiet area of the park, Billy was intentionally placed in an accessible place that encouraged closeness and familiarity. For generations, children have climbed and petted the sculpture. Over time, that affection left its mark. The horns, back, shoulders and tail were gradually worn by countless small hands, thinning the surface and exposing bare metal. Billy was deeply loved, and the visible wear became part of its story.

When a new cast of Billy was later created from another edition of the sculpture and installed in the same location, it was a deliberate and values-driven decision. Returning Billy to the park ensured that future generations could continue to experience the same sense of connection, even with the understanding that the sculpture’s surface would, overtime, bear the marks of that affection once again, because of the importance of preserving that shared experience and Billy’s place in the city’s collective memory.

Billy’s story highlights the importance of sustained partnership with conservators over the life of a public artwork. Conservators bring a longterm perspective: an understanding of how materials age, what holds up and what requires care over decades of public use. When they are engaged as ongoing collaborators, they can help guide design choices, anticipate maintenance needs and support thoughtful decision-making that balances human interaction, longevity and care. In doing so, they can help to protect both the artwork itself and the public’s investment in the art. 

ADAM JENKINS is a conservator of sculpture and decorative arts. He owns Adam JenkinsConservation Services, LLC and has been caring for public art in Philadelphia for over 20 years.

Stewardship is not only about protection. It is alsoabout allowing public art to be claimed.

CARING FOR WHAT PEOPLE LOVE: STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC ART ON CAMPUS

By Lynn Smith Dolby, Director 

The Penn Art Collection, University of Pennsylvania

The outdoor sculpture collection at Penn plays an impactful role in shaping campus culture. In addition to serving as meeting spots — “Let’s meet at the Button” is a common refrain, referring to Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen’s Split Button — the sculptures have evolved into natural gathering locations during times of protest, mourning and celebration.

Robert Indiana’s painted aluminum LOVE sculpture has become one of the most iconic and beloved on campus. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, students wrapped the work in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag and held a moving nighttime vigil.  A crowd gathered, lit candles and called for peace. The next day we discovered that the yellow tape used for the bottom portion of the flag had extremely strong adhesion, leaving significant residue on the surface of the sculpture, and even stripping away some of the paint, resulting in an extensive conservation treatment.

This same sculpture overflows with bouquets of flowers and is covered with sweet notes on Valentine’s Day. Each May, there is a long line of students in their commencement regalia eagerly waiting to have their picture taken in front of LOVE (and sometimes ON it). Recently, during one Homecoming Weekend, an alumnus proudly referred to LOVE as “his”sculpture and pointed out his name on the plaque thanking the donors who contributed to upgrading the nearby landscape. For him, the sculpture is a special feature of the campus. He takes pride in supporting its ongoing care and in helping enhance the campus experience for current and future students.

As the person responsible for caring for the physical condition of the sculptures, I find myself balancing two seemingly competing interests. It would be far easier, from a collections management and preventative conservation perspective, to have the work on an elevated pedestal to prevent physical interaction, as is the case with the LOVE sculpture at LOVE Park. However, if that were the case, I can’t help but wonder if the community would have the same sense of connection and relationship to the work, and, therefore, to the university.

As director of the Penn Art Collection, LYNN DOLBY is dedicated to enhancing the campus’ cultural landscape by forging new partnerships and activating unique exhibition spaces, and is deeply committed to connecting students and the community with art through ongoing public art tours.

JULIA GUERRERO, an art administrator and public art consultant with an architecture background, is the founder of Civic Centered Consulting. She has spent more than two decades planning, commissioning and stewarding public art collections across civic, institutional and private contexts, including leading the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority’s Percent for Art Program. Through Civic Centered she helps clients plan, grow, manage and maintain public art collections and cultural assets.