Canyon Kotani-Crespo
Staff Writer
Billionaire Manhattan Beach resident Warren Lichtenstein will loan his own LOVE sculpture, which he purchased from pop artist Robert Indiana years ago, to Manhattan Beach to incorporate into the beach community between April and May.
The sculpture is a red eight foot by eight foot arrangement of the letters L and O on top of the letters V and E in a square pattern, with the O slightly slanted. Indiana created the piece of art in 1960, donating it to cities around the world such as Wichita, New York, and Indianapolis.
“The installation will work so nicely because it stands for what Manhattan Beach believes in,” Manhattan Beach Cultural Arts Manager Martin Betz said.
The Manhattan Beach City Council is planning to place the sculpture in the parking lots at the base of the pier. The sculpture will rest on a cement slab, with the surrounding area to be upgraded with lighting.
“We’re so excited at the prospect of having such an iconic piece of art in Manhattan Beach through the generosity of Warren Lichtenstein,” City Manager Bruce Moe said.
Lichtenstein’s sculpture had been sitting in his backyard when he got the idea to loan it to the city in October. Lichtenstein and the City Council arranged a 10-year loan deal for the sculpture to be available to the public.
“It’s one of those pieces of art where all the kids like to climb on it and it’s photographed,” Lichtenstein said. “I figured what a great thing it would be to put it in Manhattan Beach.”
The artwork is being installed along with the $4 million renovation of the Roundhouse Aquarium. Both projects are set to be completed around the same time, making for a newly decorated pier area.
“I really love that our community is going to have such a unique piece of artwork in such a special setting,” Manhattan Beach resident Paula Parker said.
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