Paint Torch sculpture of Claes Oldenburg will be installed in Lenfest Plaza, Philadelphia

In late August, a towering 53-foot high sculpture of a paintbrush with illuminated bristles created by world-renowned American artist Claes Oldenburg will travel across the country to its permanent home in Philadelphia. The sculpture, titled Paint Torch, will be installed on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ (PAFA) new Lenfest Plaza at a daring 60-degree angle, as if in the act of painting. A 6-foot high glob of paint will appear beside it on the ground and the illuminated tip of the brush will light up at night.

With the addition of the paintbrush, Philadelphia will be home to four outdoor sculptures by Oldenburg, more than any other city in the world.

Lenfest Plaza is a new outdoor civic space will regularly play host to public events and feature rotating works of art by emerging and established artists. The first emerging artist to have an installation in the space is Jordan Griska, a PAFA alumnus, whose sculpture Grumman Greenhouse is being created from a 45-foot-long U.S. military bomber plane, which Griska found and purchased on eBay.

PAFA will hold an official opening party for the new plaza and a lighting ceremony for Paint Torch on October 1.