Santa Monica votes to keep Paul Conrad’s Chain Reaction sculpture
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Fantastic news from Santa Monica where the city council voted 6-1 to keep Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist Paul Conrad’s Chain Reaction sculpture near the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Proponents of the sculpture raised over $100,000 in an effort to save the art work after the city said it would not provide funds necessary for its upkeep. The city agreed to take and use the raised money and then fund any additional expenses in stabilizing the sculpture.
“A year ago you challenged us to raise enough money to save this sculpture,” said David Conrad, son of the late cartoonist. “You wanted us to prove to you how much the community cared…. I’m proud of our ‘chain gang,’ as we like to call ourselves.”
Dozens of advocates of the 5 1/2-ton, 26-foot-tall sculpture squeezed into council chambers to show their support. Of the 30 or so individuals who spoke, one contended taxpayers’ money could go to better uses, such as art classes. Two Santa Monica High School students were among those lobbying for preservation.
Artist Ed Ruscha, TV producer Norman Lear, actors Tim Robbins and Ed Asner and antiwar activist Ron Kovic were among the scores of people who had signed on to the effort to preserve and restore the sculpture.
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