SANTA MONICA—The City Council might seek to help fund the remainder of the costs to repair the sculpture “Chain Reaction” during a council vote on February 25, based on a recommendation by the city manager.
“Chain Reaction,” a 26-foot-high copper and fiberglass sculpture held up by a steel frame designed by famed political cartoonist Paul Conrad, was gifted to the City of Santa Monica in 1991. The Arts Commission voted in February 2012 to remove the sculpture based on concerns of its deteriorating qualities that could affect public safety. A March 2012 vote by the City Council approved the Arts Commission’s recommendation for removal of “Chain Reaction.” The Landmark Commission designated “Chain Reaction” as a landmark in March 2012.
A letter from the fabricator of the sculpture, Peter Carlson, noted that the city could take one of two approaches to repair the structure. The first involved removing the dome of “Chain Reaction” to determine the state of the sculpture inside, which was estimated to cost between $250,000 and $275,000. The second approach involved the removal of the entire structure to make the necessary repairs. That approach would cost anywhere between $400,000 and $450,000.
An initial plan to commit up to $85,000 from the Cultural Trust Fund to repair the structure was instead changed to a commitment of $50,000 should supporters successfully raise the funds needed to properly repair the piece. “Save Chain Reaction,” a group dedicated to that goal, stated they had to raise $400,000 to see the aid from the City Council.
City Manager Rod Gould told Canyon News in an email that he would recommend to the City Council that they “fund the further assessment of the restoration and strengthening of Chain Reaction and then fund the work.” In addition to noting that about $40,000 had already been raised by supporters, he did mention that the funding for “Chain Reaction” from this recommendation would come from the city’s General Fund, and not the Cultural Trust Fund.
Council members who express support for the idea include Tony Vazquez, Gleam Davis, Kevin McKeown and Ted Winterer, who all confirmed their support to Canyon News. Mayor Pam O’Connor and Mayor Pro Tem Terry O’Day could not be reached at the printing of this story.
“As Chain Reaction has been designated a landmark by our Landmarks Commission and as the restoration process will not divert funds from other public art projects, I can support accepting the money raised by the public and restoring ‘Chain Reaction,’” said Councilmember Davis.
Councilmember Robert Holbrook stated that he remains undecided on how he will vote, citing the temporary nature of the piece and the cost of the repairs as factors. “It all comes down to whether or not it is worth saving,” he said.
The City Council will hold a vote for the recommendation on February 25. For more information regarding the push to save “Chain Reaction,” residents can visit http://conradprojects.com.
