The LOVE sculpture, one of Philadelphia’s most beloved and Instagrammed works of public art, returns to its home this week after being removed a year ago for restoration. But first, the iconic artwork will make its way around the city in a parade called LOVE on the Move, giving folks a chance to snap a photo and see it alongside other works of public art in the city.
The parade begins on Tuesday, February 13, at 10am at the Joan of Arc statue at 25th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. From there it will make quick 10-minute pitstops at five other designated gathering sites before being permanently re-installed at LOVE Park (A.K.A. JFK Plaza), which has also been undergoing renovations. Here’s the full list of stops:
- 10:10am: Washington Monument at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eakins Oval
- 10:20am: All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors, 20th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 10:30am: Swann Memorial Fountain, Logan Square
- 10:45am: AMOR, 18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 11am: Monument to Six Million Jewish Martyrs, 16th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
- 11:15am: JFK Plaza/LOVE Park
The sculpture has undergone some extensive renovations since you last saw it. Last February it was removed from the site, stripped, repaired and repainted in its original colors—most notably replacing the blue inside the letters with a purple, which City officials later learned was Indiana’s original intention. This, says the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, “makes Philadelphia’s version of Indiana’s iconic LOVE unique, as it is the only one with purple color.”
For more information about the renovation of LOVE Park, which is scheduled to be completed this spring, go here.