Rocky statues are on the move next year. Here’s what we know so far

The Rocky statues are set to move soon Yes statues plural The iconic and apparently divisive fixture is on the move But not that far After being located at the foot of the Philadelphia Art Museum attempts since the original statue looks set to ascend to the top of the attempts sometime in It will replace a duplicate that has been there for the past year The move was part of a proposal by Creative Philadelphia the city s arts department presented to the Philadelphia Art Commission on Wednesday The commission did not give final approval and the plans seemed to change after populace outcry Here s what we know so far How plenty of Rocky statues are we talking about It s seemingly best to first identify and label the three Rocky statues we re going to be talking about Rocky Balboa actor Sylvester Stallone commissioned sculptor A Thomas Schomberg to create the iconic Rocky statue for the filming of Rocky III and Schomberg cast three Let s call the statue that was featured in Rocky III and has drawn an estimated million tourists each year according to Creative Philadelphia Rocky A In the movie Balboa beat James Clubber Lang with the help of rival-turned-ally Apollo Creed and also defeated Thunderlips a wrestler played by Hulk Hogan Not critical to our explainer but a few strong arguments for this being the best movie in the franchise Between and Statue A had moved around a bit which has been well detailed inWHYY s The Statue podcast Rocky B was also cast at the time It arrived at the top of the museum measures for the first-ever RockyFest last year on loan from Stallone himself Rocky C is the preponderance latest arrival to Philly and richly is in the present the most of permanent It was unveiled at Philadelphia International Airport in late November and will remain a permanent fixture in Terminal A-West between Gates A and That s all you need to know about Statue C for this point The Rocky shuffle This week s proposal was to return the original Statue A to Stallone s estate and eventually move Statue B closer to the front door of the Art Museum a reassured distance back from the efforts All of this was supposed to cost the city But a twist came during the meeting In response to the strong and heartfelt feedback from the population Mr Stallone has graciously decided that we will no longer move forward with the proposed statue swap Valerie Gay Creative Philadelphia s chief cultural officer revealed at Wednesday s meeting This outcome reflects our shared commitment to listening deeply to the region and doing what is best for both the art and the people who cherish it So now the proposal s plan will be to bring Statue A into the museum for a exhibition and keep Statue B in front of the museum The museum has had a love hate relationship with the very concept of embracing the Rocky statue over the decades It s at present on the love side and will feature Statue A in its Rising Up Rocky and the Making of Monuments exhibition running from April to Aug The exhibition coincides with the th anniversary of the first Rocky movie and gives us specific idea of when the first parts of the statue-switching demands to be done by When the exhibition is done Statue B goes back to Stallone and Statue A the original moves to its final place at the top of the stairs This opens a space at the bottom of the measures that will be filled by another city-owned statue allegedly un-Rocky related moving the statue of non-fictional heavyweight champion Smokin' Joe Frazier from outside Stateside Live might be a valid suggestion according to Creative Philadelphia When will we know The final details still need to be approved by the Philadelphia Art Commission which next meets Jan We also see this as an opportunity to lean into the evolving conversation about what is considered art and what deserves a place in our the majority treasured civic spaces the proposal stated The Rocky statue is a clear example of this evolution Its artistic significance has not been shaped by institutions but by the millions of people who engage with it year after year By formalizing its placement at the top of the approaches we are seeking to honor that populace connection strengthen this iconic site and enhance the experience for residents and visitors The post Rocky statues are on the move next year Here s what we know so far appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY