The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. We fulfill our mission by providing services and support in areas including grants and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations; professional development opportunities; commissioning civic artworks and managing the County’s civic art collection; implementing countywide arts education initiatives; research and evaluation; career pathways in the creative economy; free community programs; and cross sector creative strategies that address civic issues. This work is framed by the County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative and a longstanding commitment to fostering access to the arts.
County Department:
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Address Name:
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
Supervisorial District:
1
About the Artwork:
This larger-than-life bronze bust of Abraham Lincoln statue by Robert Merrell Gage is located at the northeast corner of the Mosk Courthouse facing Grand Avenue. It was originally dedicated in 1961 and moved to a new location outside the courthouse and re-dedicated in 1989. The statue depicts Lincoln in his 40s, clean shaven, and dating to a period before he became president.
For further information, see www.publicartinla.com
About the Artist:
Noted American sculptor Robert Merrell Gage (1892-1981) was a native of Topeka, Kansas. He relocated out West in 1923 and served as head of the sculpture department at USC for 30 years. In addition to numerous commissions of American figures such as Walt Whitman and John Brown, as well as architectural sculptures, one of Gage’s life-long interests was in Abraham Lincoln. Gage executed likenesses of Lincoln in many stages of life, and even starred in a 1950s film in which he modeled Lincoln’s features while narrating the story of his life.