Editorial cartooning

Controversial Paul Conrad sculpture back in news

Skip to comments

Alan Gardner June 29, 2011 1 minute 0 comments

A controversial Paul Conrad sculpture standing in the Santa Monica Civic Center depicting an atomic mushroom cloud is back in the news. The city has erected temporary fencing around the sculputure to prevent kids from climbing on it after the city building officer noticed deteriation. The city will bring in an independant structural engineer and conservator to inspect the structural integrity. The LA Times reports that some worry that the city will be pressured to remove the scultpure all together due to its controversial past. In 1990 the artwork was offered to they city, but the citizens voted against it. Only after the Santa Monica Arts Commission unanimously voted four times to accept the piece did the city council vote to accept it in a split 4-3 vote.