Landmark Designation May Not Save Sculpture

City commissioners will wait at least another month to decide if they should nominate a for a historic landmark designation.

What a designation—which traditionally applies to buildings—will mean for Paul Conrad's weathered sculpture, however, is still up in the air.

Salty ocean breezes and sunshine have corroded the 26-foot tall mushroom cloud, called Chain Reaction. Because city officials say there's not enough money in the coffers to afford to pay for the restoration work—estimated to cost between as much as $420,000—

Would a landmark status keep it from being removed from the city's public art collection or from being dismantled? Would it force the city to make sure that it's restored?

"It is unclear at the moment but will become clear as we undertake the discussion," Landmarks Commission Chairman John Charles Berley wrote to Patch in an email. “All very important questions that need answers.”

Several commissioners did said Monday that while they believe the sculpture should be "saved," landmarking it and keeping it in the city's public art collection are "separate issues."

"Saving it is dependent on technical issues and finding donors," said Commissioner Ruthann Lehrer. "Landmark status itself isn't going to be relevant to fundraising, it will be relevant to how we feel about ourselves as a community."

Shelving the landmark designation nomination decision gives city staffers the time they need to finish studies that will assess the extent of Chain Reaction's corrosion. Without the repairs, city officials have said the artwork is unsafe. They fear it could topple over.

As of Monday, fundraisers, led by Conrad's son David, with the support of local activist, Jerry Rubin, had garnered $450 in donations. The deadline is November.

"It's a start," said Landmarks Commissioner Barbara Kaplan.

Rubin pointed to objects other than buildings that have been landmarked, such as the Moreton Bay Fig Tree. He appeared confident that a designation would compell the city to protect Chain Reaction.

He told the commission Monday night that even without a designation, the community would push forward with the fundraising efforts.

But, Rubin said, "I can’t imagine this not being declared a landmark."

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