Cleveland’s Free Stamp sculpture lived up to its mission of providing public art with purpose in 2025. Anchoring Willard Park next to City Hall, the 48-foot maroon steel landmark was the rallying point for numerous events, especially demonstrations against the government.
But the sculpture has been taking a beating from our weather and from visitors. It looks worn and tired, its paint is fading, chipping and peeling, and it bears scars of engraved graffiti. So it might be time someone starts thinking about giving it another paint job. It received its last makeover in 2014 at a cost of nearly $100,000. But today a mystery surrounds who is obligated to pay for the next one.
The Free Stamp was designed by world famous artists Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen, who were known for their giant whimsical sculptures of everyday objects. Sohio, which today is BP America, commissioned the project in the early 1980s for its building on Public Square, the building that today bears the name of Huntington National Bank.
Free Stamp was rejected by corporation that commissioned it
First designed to stand upright, the sculpture was ultimately rejected by oil company executives as not befitting the company culture. They later donated it to the City of Cleveland, which worked with the artists to redesign the sculpture for Willard Park, where it sits on its side, letters facing up, as if it was tossed from Public Square. (So the legend goes.)
Observers have ascribed many meanings to the sculpture and the word “Free,” from a sly dig at soulless corporations to the freedom citizens take for granted.
What everyone appears to agree on is that the sculpture is now a part of our civic pride – a gathering spot for celebrations, protests and festivals and a destination for tourists.
When BP America donated it to the City of Cleveland, it promised to maintain it in perpetuity. BP covered the cost of refurbishing it 12 years ago. But some reports say that the city agreed around that time to take responsibility for its future upkeep.
Cleveland wants the Free Stamp to look new again
City Hall told Weekly Chatter that “we are currently working to identify resources to ensure it can be restored again to the artist’s original specifications and returned to its full glory.” City Hall went on to note that it would welcome any organization or individual interested in donating funds or other resources toward restoration.
If Cleveland only had a global paint company nearby!
Legislation from 1991 shows that BP America is on the hook for cleanings and painting forever. No one has yet to find an agreement that spells out a new arrangement. BP America didn’t respond to an inquiry seeking clarity on the deal. The ICA Art Conservation of Cleveland, which led the refurbishment in 2014, said it has had nothing to do with sculpture since.
With uncertainty in the air, perhaps the next rally at Willard Park should be one to “Save the Stamp.”