FEATURE THE MAKING OF THE MUSES

THE MAKING OF THE MUSES

As thousands of Angelenos pour into the Hollywood Bowl this summer, most will pass beneath the kind and watchful gaze of the three muses, perched atop a tiered Streamline Moderne fountain at the North Highland Avenue entrance.

Built against the backdrop of the Great Depression and with war threatening to engulf the world, the Muses of Music, Dance, Drama sculpture embodied the city of Los Angeles’ resilient optimism that music and art would endure in difficult times. As the Los Angeles Times described it, “The 200-footlong, 22-foot-high sculpture was heralded as one of America’s most ambitious art projects in 1939 when artists and craftsmen hired by the federal government for the Depression-era Works Progress Administration Federal Arts Project began constructing it.”

This project was led by Charles Toberman, the real estate developer of such Hollywood landmarks as the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Toberman was president of the Hollywood Bowl Association for one season in 1923 and then from 1934 to 1950, and he petitioned the WPA in 1938 for the funds to build the fountain, as well as a tearoom and restrooms.

Designed by George Maitland Stanley, the sculpture was carved by him and a crew of stone cutters from about 300 tons of granite quarried near Victorville. At 35, Stanley had worked on projects across Los Angeles, but he was best known for one of his smallest designs: the 13-and-1/2inch Oscar statuette, which he created in 1929 at the behest of MGM art director Cedric Gibbons for the first Academy Awards.

Born in Louisiana, Stanley began drawing at the age of three. After moving to central California with his family, he came to Los Angeles to study at the Otis Art Institute, where he ultimately ended up teaching for over 20 years. It was there that he found his calling in sculpture, and he subsequently went to the Santa Barbara School of the Arts to study bronze casting. After returning to Los Angeles, Stanley began to receive commissions for architectural carving and bas reliefs, both for private homes and for commercial and public buildings such as Bullock’s Wilshire, Scripps College, and the Griffith Observatory, where he was one of six sculptors contributing figures to the Astronomer’s Monument, a Public Works of Art Project in 1934.

For the Hollywood Bowl Fountain complex, Stanley designed three heroic sculptures in an Art Deco style. The central figure shows the kneeling Muse of Music playing a lyre. The Muse of Dance is poised mid-movement, and the Muse of Drama holds the theater masks of comedy and tragedy. These figures were sculpted from the Victorville granite and placed on a tiered fountain made from 1,180 tons of concrete and faced with more granite. Stanley envisioned the sculpture as both an entrance to the Bowl and to all of Hollywood, a city working to define itself as a

creative and artistic capital.

With the help of Los Angeles County Supervisor John Anson Ford, Toberman got the project approved at the end of 1938. As sponsor, the County provided $1,000 for the materials, and through the WPA the federal government granted $100,000 for labor and construction. The completed monument was dedicated on July 8, 1940, the day before the opening of the 19th season at the Bowl, which featured José Iturbi conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in music by Wagner, Richard Strauss, and Rimsky-Korsakov, with tenor Richard Crooks the soloist in popular songs.

The Fountain was an immediate success as the gateway to the Bowl, quickly becoming an icon celebrated on posters and postcards. Time was not kind to the muses, however. In the early 2000s, pollutants and bird droppings eroded and discolored the surface of the sculptures, and mineral deposits built up in the fountain pools. In 2006, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl completed a major reconstruction project on the fountain, carefully restoring Stanley’s design to its original luster and adding modern digital signage, waterproofing, and plumbing upgrades. As the Bowl celebrates its 100th season, the restored and fresh-faced muses are poised to greet guests for many years to come.

TOP IMAGE: Muse of Dance CENTER IMAGE: Muse of Drama (left) and Muse of Music BOTTOM IMAGE: An artist’s rendering, 2020

Janice K. Hahn

FOURTH DISTRICT Hilda L. Solis

FIRST DISTRICT Holly Mitchell

SECOND DISTRICT CHAIR Sheila J. Kuehl

THIRD DISTRICT CHAIR PRO TEM Kathryn Barger

FIFTH DISTRICT

The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. We provide leadership, services, and support in areas including grants and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations, countywide arts education initiatives, commissioning and care for civic art collections, research and evaluation, access to creative pathways, professional development, free community programs, and cross sector creative strategies that address civic issues. All of this work is framed by our longstanding commitment to fostering access to the arts, and the County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission supports and advocates for the mission, vision and values of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. The Commission is an advisory group to the Board of Supervisors, with three appointees for each District.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s programs are made possible, in part, by generous grants from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and from the National Endowment for the Arts.

County of Los Angeles

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Hilda L. Solis Holly Mitchell Chair Sheila J. Kuehl Chair Pro Tem Janice K. Hahn Kathryn Barger

COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION

Eric R. Eisenberg President Liane Weintraub Vice President Tim Dang Secretary Patrisse Cullors Executive Committee Member Constance Jolcuvar Immediate Past President

Pamela Bright-Moon Leticia Buckley Madeline Di Nonno Sandra P. Hahn Helen Hernandez Alis Clausen Odenthal Anita Ortiz Jennifer Price-Letscher Randi Tahara Rosalind Wyman

The Bowl’s food and wine team--James Beard Award Winners chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne of celebrated The Bowl’s food and wine team--James Beard Award Winners The Bowl’s food and wine team--James Beard Award Winners restaurants Lucques, a.o.c., Caldo Verde and Cara Cara - are now chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne of celebrated chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne of celebrated in their seventh year of providing exceptional cuisine designed restaurants Lucques, a.o.c., Caldo Verde and Cara Cara - are now restaurants Lucques, a.o.c., Caldo Verde and Cara Cara - are now to make your concert experiences even more spectacular. From in their seventh year of providing exceptional cuisine designed in their seventh year of providing exceptional cuisine designed supper in your box seats to freshly-prepared picnic baskets and to make your concert experiences even more spectacular. From to make your concert experiences even more spectacular. From market-driven fare, there’s truly something for everyone. supper in your box seats to freshly-prepared picnic baskets and supper in your box seats to freshly-prepared picnic baskets and market-driven fare, there’s truly something for everyone.market-driven fare, there’s truly something for everyone. FOOD + WINE AT-A-GLANCE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB STARK FOOD + WINE AT-A-GLANCE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB STARKFOOD + WINE AT-A-GLANCE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB STARK

SUPPER IN YOUR SEATS SUPPER IN YOUR SEATS THE BACKYARD THE BACKYARD SUPPER IN YOUR SEATS THE BACKYARD

Enjoy a delicious pre-concert meal served to you in the comfort of your box seats. Menu selections include Suzanne Goin’s three course menus, family-style feasts, a la carte starters, main courses, desserts, and wine. Order by 4pm the day before your concert.

Inspired by the gorgeous natural surroundings Enjoy a delicious pre-concert meal served to of the Bowl, this al fresco space has the feel you in the comfort of your box seats. Menu of a chic backyard in the Hollywood Hills. Two selections include Suzanne Goin’s three large wood-burning grills are the focus of this course menus, family-style feasts, a la carte farmers’ market-driven restaurant serving starters, main courses, desserts, and wine. grilled fish, chops, steaks, vegetables, salads, Order by 4pm the day before your concert. and raw bar items.

Inspired by the gorgeous natural surroundings Enjoy a delicious pre-concert meal served to of the Bowl, this al fresco space has the feel you in the comfort of your box seats. Menu of a chic backyard in the Hollywood Hills. Two selections include Suzanne Goin’s three large wood-burning grills are the focus of this course menus, family-style feasts, a la carte farmers’ market-driven restaurant serving starters, main courses, desserts, and wine. grilled fish, chops, steaks, vegetables, salads, Order by 4pm the day before your concert. and raw bar items. Inspired by the gorgeous natural surroundings of the Bowl, this al fresco space has the feel of a chic backyard in the Hollywood Hills. Two large wood-burning grills are the focus of this farmers’ market-driven restaurant serving grilled fish, chops, steaks, vegetables, salads, and raw bar items.

MARKETPLACES MARKETPLACES ANN’S WINE BAR by a.o.c. ANN’S WINE BAR by a.o.c.MARKETPLACES ANN’S WINE BAR by a.o.c.

Specialty sandwiches, seasonal grab-and-go salads, cheese + charcuterie plates, snacks, beer, wide-ranging variety of approachable and delicious wines await you at all of three of our Marketplaces. You’ll find everything you need to build a picnic from scratch or supplement one you already have.

Inspired by the original a.o.c. on 3rd St., Specialty sandwiches, seasonal grab-and-go Ann’s Wine Bar features a wide selection of salads, cheese + charcuterie plates, snacks, Caroline’s favorite new and old world wines to beer, wide-ranging variety of approachable be explored by both experienced and novice and delicious wines await you at all of three wine lovers, all paired with Suzanne Goin’s of our Marketplaces. You’ll find everything signature small plates menu. Reservations you need to build a picnic from scratch or recommended. supplement one you already have. Inspired by the original a.o.c. on 3rd St., Specialty sandwiches, seasonal grab-and-go Ann’s Wine Bar features a wide selection of salads, cheese + charcuterie plates, snacks, Caroline’s favorite new and old world wines to beer, wide-ranging variety of approachable be explored by both experienced and novice and delicious wines await you at all of three wine lovers, all paired with Suzanne Goin’s of our Marketplaces. You’ll find everything signature small plates menu. Reservations you need to build a picnic from scratch or recommended. supplement one you already have. Inspired by the original a.o.c. on 3rd St., Ann’s Wine Bar features a wide selection of Caroline’s favorite new and old world wines to be explored by both experienced and novice wine lovers, all paired with Suzanne Goin’s signature small plates menu. Reservations recommended.

LUCQUES AT THE CIRCLE LUCQUES AT THE CIRCLE CATERING AT THE BOWL CATERING AT THE BOWLLUCQUES AT THE CIRCLE CATERING AT THE BOWL

Fine dining for subscribers of the Pool Circle, with a seasonal made-to-order menu and an exceptional wine list styled from the award-winning restaurant Lucques.

Give your guests the experience of a lifetime Fine dining for subscribers of the Pool Circle, with a seasonal made-to-order menu and an exceptional wine list styled from the award-winning restaurant Lucques. when you host your next event at the Bowl! Our selection of seven beautiful venues is perfect for events of all sizes, from intimate gatherings to elaborate affairs.

Give your guests the experience of a lifetime when you host your next event at the Bowl! Our selection of seven beautiful venues is perfect for events of all sizes, from intimate gatherings to elaborate affairs. Fine dining for subscribers of the Pool Circle, with a seasonal made-to-order menu and an exceptional wine list styled from the award-winning restaurant Lucques.

Give your guests the experience of a lifetime when you host your next event at the Bowl! Our selection of seven beautiful venues is perfect for events of all sizes, from intimate gatherings to elaborate affairs.

STREET FOOD & SNACKS STREET FOOD & SNACKS KITCHEN 22 KITCHEN 22 STREET FOOD & SNACKS KITCHEN 22

A variety of delicious options are available throughout the Bowl, including street tacos, salads, specialty sandwiches, gourmet pizza, pulled pork, artisan baked goods, sweets, and popcorn.

Kitchen 22 is the best place to indulge in A variety of delicious options are available fan favorites like burgers, French fries, fried throughout the Bowl, including street tacos, chicken, specialty sandwiches, and salads. salads, specialty sandwiches, gourmet pizza, pulled pork, artisan baked goods, sweets, and popcorn. Kitchen 22 is the best place to indulge in A variety of delicious options are available fan favorites like burgers, French fries, fried throughout the Bowl, including street tacos, chicken, specialty sandwiches, and salads.salads, specialty sandwiches, gourmet pizza, pulled pork, artisan baked goods, sweets, and popcorn. Kitchen 22 is the best place to indulge in fan favorites like burgers, French fries, fried chicken, specialty sandwiches, and salads.

Download the Hollywood Bowl app or scan one of the many QR codes to place an order from the comfort of your seat and skip the line at pick up. Mobile ordering is available throughout the venue.

PICNIC BOXES PICNIC BOXES It’s easier than ever to enjoy a picnic supper before your concert with five options for delectable fresh-made picnic boxes from Food + Wine. Simply pre-order online by 4 pm the day before your concert, and your choice will be waiting for you when you arrive at the Bowl.

MOBILE ORDERING: Download the Hollywood Bowl app or scan one of the many QR codes to place an order from the comfort of your seat and skip the line at pick up. Mobile ordering is available throughout the venue. MOBILE ORDERING: Download the Hollywood Bowl app or scan one of the many QR codes to place an order MOBILE ORDERING: Download the Hollywood Bowl app or scan one of the many QR codes to place an order from the comfort of your seat and skip the line at pick up. Mobile ordering is available throughout the venue.from the comfort of your seat and skip the line at pick up. Mobile ordering is available throughout the venue.

PICNIC BOXES

It’s easier than ever to enjoy a picnic supper before your concert with five options for It’s easier than ever to enjoy a picnic supper delectable fresh-made picnic boxes from before your concert with five options for Food + Wine. Simply pre-order online by delectable fresh-made picnic boxes from 4 pm the day before your concert, and your Food + Wine. Simply pre-order online by choice will be waiting for you when you 4 pm the day before your concert, and your arrive at the Bowl. choice will be waiting for you when you arrive at the Bowl. It’s easier than ever to enjoy a picnic supper before your concert with five options for delectable fresh-made picnic boxes from Food + Wine. Simply pre-order online by 4 pm the day before your concert, and your choice will be waiting for you when you arrive at the Bowl.