Palm Beach’s landmarks board has deferred a decision on the removal of four classical statues at The Society of the Four Arts after commissioners questioned whether the weathered sculptures should be treated as protected features of the landmarked site.
During its June 17 meeting at Town Hall, the Landmarks Preservation Commission delayed action on granting the institution’s “certificate of appropriateness” application for a month, allowing more time to review of the statues’ role within the campus at 102 Four Arts Plaza.
The request sought approval to remove the quartet of sculptures depicting the seasons from the west side of the landmarked Esther B. O’Keeffe Building.
The statues, which are composed of sand, shell and cement aggregate, were placed in storage after construction began in May on the Four Arts’ $250 million renovation and expansion project, which includes upgrades to the O’Keeffe and John E. Rovensky buildings.
The section of the O’Keeffe Building where the statues stand is expected to be expanded during the renovation.
Attorney Harvey Oyer, who represents the Four Arts, said the sculptures were relocated to the building’s west facade in 1984 and should not be considered protected historic elements tied to the landmark designation. Because the O’Keeffe building is landmarked, exterior alterations require commission approval.
Oyer said the statues were not part of the original landmarked design. He cited the 1979 designation report and a 1995 supplemental report, which he said do not include the statues as protected historic features.
“They were not put there by Addison Mizner,” Oyer said, referring to the famous Palm Beach architect who designed the building today known as the O’Keeffe building — originally the Embassy Club — in the 1920s. Later modifications and additional Society of the Four Arts buildings were designed by another noted Palm Beach architect, John L. Volk.
“They were not put there by Volk,” he continued. “They were never an element of a designated building.”
Oyer added that the statues, which measure approximately 11 to 12 feet tall, including the plinths, have never been considered part of the organization’s art collection and have instead been treated as landscape elements moved around the campus.
“We’re not sure of the original provenance of these,” Oyer said.
Oyer said the statues have deteriorated significantly and would require substantial restoration if kept on site. A conservator’s report submitted to the town found corrosion of internal materials and a loss of surface detail.
“The concrete material on the outside is in a very advanced state of degradation,” he said.
Philip Rylands, president and CEO of The Society of the Four Arts, said the statues are garden ornaments made of “really poor material, a kind of composite” that does not withstand the Palm Beach climate.
“They are wrecks, basically,” he told commissioners. “One of their heads has broken off and been patched together again. I would argue that, rightly, the Four Arts has never considered these worthy of being accessioned to its collection of art, with a capital A. They are not worthy of the beautiful façades which this Town Council and this commission have approved (for the renovation).”
Oyer said the Four Arts has identified a potential recipient for the statues if the commission approves their removal. He said the statues would not be discarded.
“These are not going to be lost to the town of Palm Beach,” he said. “In fact, they would be in a fairly prominent location in someone’s yard.”
Town staff, however, said the statues remain part of the landmarked property and therefore are subject to commission review, even if they are not specifically listed in designation documents.
“Even if there was a new statue placed, it would be in front of you,” Frederieke Mittner, the town’s design and preservation manager, told commissioners. “You’ve seen other cases on other properties where you’re reviewing fountains that may not have historical significance, but again, the site is under your purview.”
Commissioners questioned whether the sculptures are movable artwork or historic features of the campus.
“I feel very much that they may not be part of the art of the Four Arts, but they’ve been there for almost the whole lifetime of the Four Arts,” landmarks board chair Brittain Damguard said. “They do have historical significance to the Four Arts.”
Commissioner Jane Lindsay-Scott agreed. “I think that the significance of the statues is not so much in their value or quality of workmanship,” she said. “It is in the historical value. It also represents an evolution of the Four Arts.”
After the discussion, the commission voted to defer the application for further study, citing the need for additional review of the statues’ history and their relationship to the landmark designation.
The issue is expected to return to the commission July 22.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach landmarks board questions plan to remove Four Arts’ statues
Reporting by Jodie Wagner, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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By Jodie Wagner, Palm Beach Daily News | USA TODAY Network
