ARTIST'S STATEMENT (5/18/2022): As the original artist on the Pershing Square refurbishment in 1992-94, I have received no notification from the city, or any agency or commission in the city, about my artwork being moved, altered or removed from Pershing Square. - Barbara McCarren, Venice CA
Dear Friend of Pershing Square,
On May 19, 2022 in their 9:30am hearing, the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners are scheduled to vote on Pershing Square Renovation Phase 1A. (PDF agenda link, see #22-124.)
We have reached out to Council District 14 asking for this item to be removed from the agenda due to the city's failure to address the threat to artist Barbara McCarren's public art installation "Hey Day" (1994).
"Hey Day" honors two of our favorite Los Angeles writers, with a jagged stone path symbolizing the earthquake from John Fante's novel Ask The Dust leading to a wall inscribed with Carey McWilliams' incredible quote about the culture of the park, concluding "Here the American people were erupting, like lava from a volcano; here, indeed, was the place for me - a ringside seat at the circus."
It is a wonderful sculpture that should not be demolished without an attempt to preserve it. If you share our concern, you can send an email to councilmember.kevindeleon@lacity.org or call (213) 473-7014, too.
BACKGROUND: In January 2021, we halted and were able to void two virtual Cultural Affairs Commission hearings, because the public was not able to view or participate. Two proper public hearings were then held, which we live tweeted:
On the agenda at each hearing was granting $24 Million in public funds to construct a small portion of the poorly conceived and underfunded Agence Ter plan that was declared the winner of Jose Huizar's 2016 Pershing Square Renew design competition.
On January 28, 2021 the Cultural Affairs Commission held a two hour Special Meeting to make up for the first Brown Act violation, but again the public was excluded, and the meeting voided. Video from that illegal meeting is extremely revealing about why the city is moving forward doing construction on the park, without the funds to actually redesign Pershing Square.
An earlier petition update links to the video with timestamped explanations of The Truth About Pershing Square Redesign: It’s Eric Garcetti’s 2028 Olympics Pipe Dream.
In the January through April 2021 hearings, the Cultural Affairs Commission repeatedly pressed architect Debra Gerod from Gruen Associates (local partner to French firm Agence Ter) to better explain the Pershing Square proposal and ensure the artwork and monuments in the park were protected.
At the 4/14/21 hearing, before the Commissioners reluctantly approved $24 Million in initial funding, they reminded Gerod that following the artist's public comment on 2/10/21, she had been directed to come back and tell them what was happening to Barbara McCarren's “Hey Day,” but she had not done so. Here is our live tweet calling out this moment in the hearing.
The Cultural Affairs Commission directed Gruen to communicate with Barbara McCarren about the situation. We have been looking forward to working with McCarren, Gruen, Department of Cultural Affairs, Rec and Parks and Council District 14 to address the threat to this popular piece of civic art and ensure a positive solution.
We have confirmed this morning that Barbara McCarren has still not been contacted by anyone from DCA, Rec and Parks or Gruen Associates about the threat to her artwork, which is protected under the Federal Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA). She is extremely concerned that if the Rec & Parks Commission votes to move forward tomorrow, her work “Hey Day” will be destroyed. We share her concern.
Today we asked asked Council District 14 to request that the item is removed from the agenda for future consideration, as the question of how the proposed renovations will likely destroy Barbara McCarren’s “Hey Day” have not been answered. We very much hope that they will do so.
For more information about the historic park, the restoration campaign and what comes next, please visit: https://restorepershingsquare.blogspot.com
yours for Los Angeles,
Kim Cooper & Richard Schave
The Pershing Square Restoration Society