''Santa Monica'' (also known as ''Saint Monica'') is an

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

sculpture by

Eugene Morahan Eugene H. Morahan (August 29, 1869 – November 14, 1949) was an American sculptor. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was a student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Morahan sculpted: * thAlfred Vanderbilt Memorial Fountainin Newport, Rhode Island * ...

(1869–1949) installed in

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

's Palisades Park, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in California.

Description

The cast-

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

sculpture of Saint Monica of Hippo is approximately tall and rests on a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

base that is approximately tall."Statue Will Honor Town’s Patron Saint." ''Los Angeles Times,'' Apr 04, 1934, pp. 4''.'' ( Father Juan Crespí visited the nearby

Tongva Sacred Springs The Tongva Sacred Springs are a group of springs located on the campus of University High School in Los Angeles, California. The springs, called Koruu'vanga by the native Gabrieleno Tongva people, were used as a source of natural fresh water by ...

on an expedition in 1769; the scattered pools of flowing water reminded him of Monica’s tears for her son

Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...

, of later '' Confessions'' fame. The pre-statehood

Rancho Boca de Santa Monica Rancho or Ranchos may refer to: Settlements and communities *Rancho, Aruba, former fishing village and neighbourhood of Oranjestad *Ranchos of California, 19th century land grants in Alta California **List of California Ranchos *Ranchos, Buenos Ai ...

and

Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica Rancho or Ranchos may refer to: Settlements and communities *Rancho, Aruba, former fishing village and neighbourhood of Oranjestad *Ranchos of California, 19th century land grants in Alta California ** List of California Ranchos * Ranchos, Buenos ...

, and eventually the city, all took the name of the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

History

The sculpture is a

New Deal artwork New Deal artwork is an umbrella term used to describe the creative output organized and funded by the Roosevelt administration's New Deal response to the Great Depression. This work produced between 1933 and 1942 ranges in content and form from ...

funded by the early

Public Works of Art Project The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) was a New Deal work-relief program that employed professional artists to create sculptures, paintings, crafts and design for public buildings and parks during the Great Depression in the United States. The ...

.Millier, Arthur. "Art Withstands Scrutiny of Hard-Boiled Politicians: Planetarium Obelisk, Park Fountain, Other, Massive Works Continue Under F.E.R.A." ''Los Angeles Times'', Jun 03, 1934, pp. 2. The California regional director who commissioned Saint Monica was Merle Armitage. The city of Santa Monica paid for the materials; southern California under Armitage’s leadership was unusually successful compared to other regions in raising money for public artwork cooperatively funded with the PWAP. The work was dedicated on May 4, 1935. The dedication ceremony was set for a “Pioneer Days” event and attended by government dignitaries and community leaders, with music provided by the Santa Monica Municipal Band.

Mount Rushmore The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a National Memorial (United States), national memorial centered on a colossal sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore (, or Six Grandfathers) in the Black Hills near Keystone, South Dak ...

sculptor

Gutzon Borglum John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum (March 25, 1867 – March 6, 1941) was an American sculpture, sculptor best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. He is also associated with various other public works of art across the U.S., including Stone Moun ...

had even come to Santa Monica to help his friend Morahan finish the piece before the unveiling ceremony. The statue was used as the cover image of W. W. Robinson’s 1950 history of Santa Monica. The work was surveyed by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

Save Outdoor Sculpture! Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999. History Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Heri ...

program in 1994.

References

External links

* {{Santa Monica, California 1934 sculptures 1935 establishments in California Concrete sculptures in California Outdoor sculptures in Santa Monica, California Sculptures of saints Sculptures of women in California Statues in California

Description

History

See also

References

External links