A new sculpture has been installed at the former Savings and Loan building (26th and Wilshire).
The statue, titled “In The Image” is by Ed Massey and the accompanying description says the Image is a portrait of a homeless man Massey encountered 20 years ago.
“Good people — progressive to conservative, secular to religious — are confronted by the issue everyday,” says part of the description. “Yet, few know the stories of the homeless with whom we come in contact. What don’t we know of those we pass without a glance? What could be their potential contributions? What does the sculpture evoke or say about us?”
The Millard Sheets mural that used to sit on the front of the building was removed this year after the building lost its status as a landmark. While City Hall did designate the property and art as a landmark in 2017 the property owners filed a lawsuit. City Council settled the case in 2018 with an agreement that revoked the landmarking of the property and allowed the owner to move the mural off-site.
According to the description, the new work was originally planned as a piece of public art.
“The In the Image work was always intended for the public realm, so viewers and passersby could contemplate their views and elevate their discourse on the issue — one that has now come to affect us all where we work and live,” it said.
SMDP staff
