There are dozens of LOVE sculptures across the world. What makes Philadelphia's so special?
The LOVE sculpture is an iconic symbol of Philadelphia. Some would say it represents the "vibes" of the city.
Philadelphia's LOVE sculpture isn't the only one in the world. City leaders say there are 50 or more across the globe. The "LOVE" design was created by artist Robert Indiana in the 1960s for a holiday card.
"You have to do it. It's Philadelphia. It doesn't get any more iconic than this," said Kyra Von Christierson, who was visiting from Florida.
"I think it's really emblematic of the city for me," said John Rutherford, an East Passyunk resident.
"It makes a great statement. A great statement for us, that it's love here," said John "The Bossman" Hall, from North Philadelphia.
This piece of artwork embodies what Philadelphia is all about.
"This is going to be here. We try to take care of it as stewards of the park for the Parks Department, so we want this to be something that endures as long as the city does," said LOVE Park manager Andrew Emma.
Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture first came to the city during the nation's bicentennial, and was on loan for two years.
"It took a donor. A very prominent donor — Fitz Dixon — to decide, 'I'm going to donate this, I'm going to pay for this, purchase it for the city and then donate it to the city,' and it's been here ever since," said Marguerite Anglin, public art director with Creative Philadelphia.
The sculpture has spent nearly 50 years in nearly the same spot and underwent renovations a few years ago.
"It's the only one that has the color purple. That's inside the interior, and that was actually something that the city uncovered when it was being restored in 2018," Anglin said.
Whether it's the background of a Super Bowl parade, the annual Christmas Village or just a regular old Tuesday, the painted aluminum artwork attracts millions of people a year, according to the park's manager.
"William Penn, he decided to name the city Philadelphia, which means brotherly love — we heard this is the City of Brotherly Love. And he felt that it was a challenge to the city, to be a place where people from all different backgrounds and all different beliefs could live together in peace," Anglin said.
The LOVE sculpture not only embodies that, but it also exemplifies it.
"There's something about the human spirit that attracts us. We all want love at the end of the day — even when we say we don't — we've all been wired to want that," said Valerie Gay, the city's chief cultural officer and executive director of Creative Philadelphia.
From mid-March to November, the park holds weddings at the LOVE sculpture every week. The park's manager said this month they'll celebrate their 1,000th ceremony.
