Police Headquarters to Celebrate 'A Friend' Sculpture Restoration in Philly Today

Today, October 28th at 1:00pm, the Police Department and the OACCE celebrate the restoration of the sculpture entitled "A Friend" located in front of the Police Administration Headquarters at 7th and Race Streets. The restoration was funded by a generous contribution from The Kal & Lucille Rudman Foundation. Commissioner Charles Ramsey and Mr. Rudman will make the remarks. This event is free and open to the public.

The bronze sculpture, by artist Charles Cropper Parks (1922-2012), depicts a standing uniformed police officer holding a small child in his arms, symbolizing the protective role of the police officer in the community. The sculpture was commissioned by the City of Philadelphia Percent for Art Program and was installed in 1977. The artist was a native of Wilmington, DE who attended the University of Delaware and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and created over 500 sculptures during his career.

The restoration was undertaken to halt the deterioration of the bronze and improve the appearance of the sculpture. The work was undertaken by the Philadelphia firm of Materials Conservation Collaborative LLC.

The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is home to the City's Percent for Art Program and the Conservation and Collection Management Program, supporting the commissioning of new works of public art and overseeing the preservation of the City's public art collection - the largest and most renowned collection in the world. In 1959, Philadelphia became the first city in the United States to enact a Percent for Art ordinance to beautify and adorn architecture and public spaces. Since 1988, the City has restored dozens of outdoor public sculptures to address the harmful effects of acid rain, vandalism, and nature, and to ensure their preservation for future generations. For additional information, contact Margot Berg, Public Art Director, or visit http://creativephl.org.