Hollywood and La Brea Gateway, (sculpture).

Hollywood and La Brea Gateway, (sculpture).

Hardwicke, Catherine, designer.

Brogan, Jack, sculptor.

West, Harl, sculptor.

Prantis, Richard, contractor.

Chase, Margo, designer.

Hollywood and La Brea Gateway, (sculpture).

1993. Dedicated Feb. 1, 1994.

Gateway: stainless steel, glass, neon, gilded metal; Base: concrete, granite tile.

Gateway: approx. 30 ft. x 11 ft. 6 in. x 11 ft. 6 in.; Base: approx. 12 x 12 x 12 ft.

(On plaque on sculpture:) Designer: Catherine Hardwicke (On plaque below figure:) 1923 DOROTHY DANDRIDGE 1965/First Black Woman to be nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress for "Carmen Jones." (On plaque below second figure:) 1906 ANNA MAY WONG 1961/Starred in Silent and Talking Pictures including "The Thief of Baghdad" and "Shanghai Express." (On plaque below third figure:) 1904 DOLORES DEL RIO 1983/Starred in more than 30 films in Hollywood and dozens in Mexico including "What Price Glory." (On plaque below fourth figure:) 1893 MAE WEST 1980/Writer and Star of a string of hits including "I'm No Angel" and "My Little Chickadee." (Down the outside of the spire in neon:) H/O/L/L/Y/W/O/O/D (In the arches of gateway, between figures:) HOLLYWOOD signed

Sculptural four-sided gateway is an art-deco style gazebo with four stainless steel full-length portraits of Hollywood actresses supporting an open roof structure. The actresses portrayed are Mae West, Dorothy Dandridge, Anna May Wong and Dolores Del Rio. All four figures wear glamorous long gowns. Each figure stands on a square base. A spire rises from the top of the rounded, open gazebo roof. Neon lettering runs vertically down the four sides of the spire. At the top of the spire is a small windvane. The windvane is a gilded full-length portrait of Marilyn Monroe holding her billowing skirt in place. The gazebo stands directly on a plaza. The plaza floor within the gazebo is granite tile mosaic patterned in the shape of a star.

Portrait female -- West, Mae -- Full length

Portrait female -- Dandridge, Dorothy -- Full length

Portrait female -- Wong, Anna May -- Full length

Portrait female -- Del Rio, Dolores -- Full length

Portrait female -- Monroe, Marilyn -- Full length

Performing Arts -- Theater -- Performer

Outdoor Sculpture -- California -- Los Angeles

Administered by City of Los Angeles, Community Redevelopment Agency, Art Program, 354 South Spring Street, 7th floor, Los Angeles, California 90013

Located Hollywood Boulevard & La Brea traffic island, Los Angeles, California

The gateway was commissioned by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) at a cost of $75,000. Hardwicke was commissioned to design the gateway. Subcontractors included Brogan who served as technical artist; West who served as sculptor; Prantis who supervised the work; and Chase who designed the graphics. IAS files contain copies of related articles from Vogue, Dec. 1993, pg. 84; Park Labrea News/Beverly Press, Feb. 17, 1994 and Los Angeles Times, Jan. 19, Feb. 14 and 28, 1994, which discuss the controversial piece,

Save Outdoor Sculpture, California survey, 1994.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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