Rocky has plenty of sequels \u2014 now the iconic Rocky statue is getting one, too. <\/p>\n
Philadelphia is set to be home to a second statue of the famed movie prizefighter after the city\u2019s art commission voted unanimously this week to install the artwork inside Philadelphia International Airport. <\/p>\n
As it turns out, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Rocky statue isn\u2019t the only contender out there.<\/p>\n
The second statue, a 10-foot-tall bronze casting, is one of three originals created by the artist A. Thomas Schomberg. The Philadelphia Department of Aviation conceived of a plan to purchase the statue using airport funds in 2024 after learning it was up for sale, according to a memo viewed by The Inquirer. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department realized that this was a unique opportunity to enhance the guest experience by purchasing an iconic statue that is solely associated with the City of Philadelphia by its residents and people from near and far who travel to Philly to partake in its celebrity and story of triumph,\u201d the memo says. <\/p>\n
With Schomberg\u2019s guidance, aviation department officials decided the statue will be positioned past security in the airport\u2019s Terminal A-West, where thousands of domestic and international travelers regularly pass by. <\/p>\n
The location on the terminal\u2019s second-floor concourse was chosen for its vaulted ceiling and dramatic backdrop of the airfield, according to the memo, as well as its \u201cclean and modern\u201d appearance and lack of advertising. <\/p>\n
The city intends to purchase the artwork for a sum that was not disclosed within the memo. It will then become part of Philadelphia\u2019s permanent public art collection. <\/p>\n
In July, Creative Philadelphia, the city\u2019s office for the creative sector, wrote a letter urging the Philadelphia Art Commission to consider its support of the proposal. <\/p>\n
\u201cBringing the beloved Rocky statue to the airport is a fantastic way to celebrate our city\u2019s rich culture in a space that welcomes travelers from across the country and around the world,\u201d wrote Marguerite Anglin, Creative Philadelphia\u2019s public art director. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe statue\u2019s placement at the airport will make this significant work accessible to those who are traveling through the airport, but may not have opportunity to visit our city to see the other cast of Rocky at the Philadelphia Art Museum,\u201d Anglin said. <\/p>\n
Creative Philadelphia intends to assist Philadelphia International Airport in drafting a conservation plan for the statue following its installation, according to Anglin. <\/p>\n
Schomberg, the 82-year-old sculptor behind the original Rocky statues, created the artworks in 1980 ahead of Rocky III\u2019s release. Schomberg collaborated with Sylvester Stallone, who depicted the boxer in the original 1976 film and its sequels. <\/p>\n