A Sculpture that Started a 'Chain Reaction' of Giving

Supporters of Santa Monica’s “Chain Reaction” sculpture say they have raised more than $100,000 to contribute to the cost of repairing the artwork.

The Santa Monica City Council is expected in two weeks to discuss whether the city should go forward with funding the repairs.

Created by political cartoonist Paul Conrad, the sculpture was dedicated in 1991 and is made of copper tubing over a fiberglass core with an internal stainless steel frame that rests on a concrete base.

In 2011, a fence was erected around the sculpture when city officials noticed it unsafe, especially after children used it as a jungle gym. A structural engineer studied the work and declared it fixable – for a price: more than $400,000.

The Santa Monica Lookout reports Conrad’s son, David, says that most of the $100,000 raised came in small increments.