One Final Fling For LOVE Statue At Dilworth Park
by Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A hearty send-off for an iconic pop-art sculpture on Valentine's Day.
The LOVE Sculpture is winding up its fling with Dilworth Park, on the west side of City Hall, before returning to LOVE Park, across the street. It'll be removed on Wednesday.
Artist Robert Indiana's calling card, the LOVE Sculpture, with its four red-and-blue letters stacked in a square, along with its slanted O, will have a date with a forklift again, but not before more selfie shots and lovers' embraces.
Like Didem and her new fiancé, Kamel.
"We're from Connecticut. It's our first Valentine's Day. We actually just got engaged in Philadelphia by the Art Museum two days ago," said Didem.
Or Tom and Marge Glaze, born and raised in South Philly, celebrating their 8th anniversary.
"When we came up through the subway, and I saw it, I said c'mon, we got to take a picture," said Tom.
Joe Hafner, who grew up in Glenside, was visiting from sunny Santa Barbara with his friend, Nancy.
"I grew up here, and we're visiting from California. We thought we'd come, since it's Valentine's Day," said Joe.
"It's awesome. It's cool. It's bright and happy. I think it just makes people smile," Nancy said.
Last year, the city moved the famed piece of work from LOVE Park, officially JFK Plaza, to Dilworth Park, once the more than $16 million LOVE Park renovations began.
A construction company is set to take it away again, so conservation specialists can restore and repaint the sculpture before it's reinstalled in the newly fixed up Love Park this summer.
JFK Plaza itself is getting a renovated visitor's center, a new water fountain, and added green space.
