The University of Utah is set to become the new home for a monumental piece of American pop art. A 12-foot-tall “LOVE” sculpture by the late artist Robert Indiana has been acquired by the university for $4.5 million and will be installed outside the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) on its Salt Lake City campus.
The acquisition, funded through a combination of private donations and state public art funds, brings one of the most recognizable images in modern art to the state's flagship university. An official unveiling is planned for Valentine's Day next year, coinciding with the museum's 25th anniversary.
Key Takeaways
- The University of Utah has purchased a 12-foot-tall “LOVE” sculpture by artist Robert Indiana for $4.5 million.
- Funding was split between $2.5 million from private donors and $2 million from state public art funds.
- The sculpture will be permanently installed outside the Utah Museum of Fine Arts on campus.
- Installation is a complex project requiring a new concrete base, utility rerouting, and enhanced security, with an unveiling planned for February 2025.
A Landmark Addition to Campus
The massive aluminum sculpture, measuring 12 feet high, 12 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, features the artist's signature design: the word LOVE stacked in two rows with a distinctively tilted letter 'O'. This particular piece, created in 1999, is painted in the university's signature red on the exterior with blue accents inside the letters.
It is the fifth in a series of five identical large-scale works and one of only nine of this size in existence. Its journey to Utah began after a long tenure in New York City, where it was displayed at the intersection of 55th Street and Sixth Avenue and later, for a month in 2023, outside Rockefeller Center.
University President Taylor Randall traveled to New York last fall to secure the piece. According to Gretchen Dietrich, executive director of the UMFA, the acquisition was driven by a group of local art patrons.
“A group of art-loving donors in our community really had their sights on it and wanted to bring it to Utah,” Dietrich said. “It’s a really great work of art. It’s a work of art even non-art people know, and I love that about it.”
The History of a Pop Art Icon
Robert Indiana, who passed away in 2018, first conceived the “LOVE” design in the 1960s for a series of drawings that became museum cards. He later explored the theme in paintings and prints before creating the first three-dimensional steel version in 1970.
The image was quickly adopted by the peace movement during the Vietnam War era and became an enduring symbol of the period. Its popularity soared when it was featured on a United States postage stamp, cementing its place in American visual culture.
While this edition is new to Utah, it is not the first “LOVE” sculpture in the state. Brigham Young University in Provo owns a smaller version, which was moved indoors to the BYU Museum of Art in 2005 for preservation after sustaining damage from weather and public interaction.
A Complex Installation Process
Bringing the more than 1,000-pound sculpture to its new home is a significant undertaking. The chosen location, at the corner of South Campus Drive and Central Campus Drive, required extensive preparation to ensure the artwork's stability and longevity.
Crews have been working to construct a new concrete foundation and have had to reroute underground utility lines. The site, which is on a slight downward slope, also needed retaining walls for support.
Installation Details:
- Weight: Over 1,000 pounds
- Foundation: New concrete base and retaining walls
- Utilities: Rerouting of existing lines
- Protection: Sprinkler systems adjusted, security cameras installed
- Lighting: New downward-pointing lights to illuminate the sculpture at night
These preparations have pushed the original installation timeline from November to early next year. “We’ve got to get it right,” Dietrich noted, emphasizing the importance of proper site work. The sculpture has already arrived in Utah and is being held in a secure, undisclosed location pending installation.
A New Beacon for the Arts
Once installed, the “LOVE” sculpture will serve as a prominent landmark, guiding visitors to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Dietrich hopes its high visibility will solve a long-standing challenge for the museum.
“I can start telling the people to turn at the ‘LOVE’ sculpture,” she said, explaining that many visitors have previously struggled to find the museum's entrance. The new artwork will replace previous signage at the key intersection.
The acquisition aligns with a broader push for public art within Utah. During its 2024 session, the state legislature passed a bill to provide matching funds for cities and towns to create public art installations. Dietrich hopes this piece will not only draw more visitors to the UMFA but also spark momentum for a potential art walk across Salt Lake City and even an expansion of the museum itself, which she says is currently at capacity.
As the campus prepares for its new arrival, the sentiment is clear: this is more than just an art installation. It is an investment in public access to culture and a statement about the role of art in the community. As Dietrich concluded, reflecting on the power of art in challenging times, “Art will truly save us.”