The Rocky statue that has stood next to the Philadelphia Art Museum steps for two decades is being permanently moved to the top of the museum’s steps, mirroring the infamous scene from the 1976 movie.<\/p>\n
The Philadelphia Art Commission approved the move, which had been proposed<\/a> by Creative Philadelphia, the city’s office for promoting arts and culture. The six-member board voted, 4-1, Wednesday in favor of the move, with one member abstaining.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Streetscape upgrades on South Broad Street\u2019s Avenue of the Arts set to begin this month<\/a><\/p>\n After a discussion that lasted longer than an hour, the board deemed the statue worthy of the move because of its status as a cultural symbol for Philadelphia,\u00a0WHYY<\/a>\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n “It’s a powerful example of democratic public art, where value comes from public meaning versus an institution,” commission member Rebecca Segal said during the meeting. “I believe the statue, what I have seen and witnessed, functions the way that great public art does today, through recognition, repetition and collective ownership and interaction.”<\/p>\n \nThe Rocky statue, created by A. Thomas Schomberg, was gifted to the city in 1982. Over the decades, the statue has been moved to the top of the steps multiple times, including for the filming of “Rocky III,” “Rocky V” and “Philadelphia.” The statue initially was displayed at the sports complex \u2014 outside the Spectrum \u2014 but it was moved to its current location in 2006.<\/p>\n The city estimates the statue attracts 4 million visitors each year.<\/p>\n \nDuring 2024’s Rocky Fest, a replica statue was loaned to the Philadelphia Art Museum to be temporary displayed at the top of the steps, where it remains today.\n<\/p>\n