Conservation of Covenant: Maintaining a campus landmark

To celebrate its 50th birthday, Covenant—Penn’s largest sculpture—has received a timely makeover.

The two-part conservation project, led by The Penn Art Collection, was recently completed. Phase one, finished in July 2025, involved structural maintenance to support the sculpture’s integrity. Starting in June 2026, phase two entailed repainting the entire piece, stripping the sculpture down to its steel surface, and restoring the bright red sheen it had upon installment at 39th Street and Locust Walk in 1975.

“What [we undertook] is totally new,” says The Penn Art Collection director Lynn Smith Dolby, noting that although Covenant had been lightly repainted a few times, it had yet to undergo a full overhaul.

The repainting process, she says, helped reveal whether the visually prominent campus landmark needed additional welding and repairs during the summer restoration.

“Penn is actively and continually invested in maintaining and sharing its outdoor sculpture collection,” Dolby says.

Surrounded by scaffolding, the sculpture was carefully scrubbed of lead-based paint. Vendors then recoated it with the original vivid red hue, which had faded over time. The team worked closely with the Alexander Liberman estate throughout the process.

Liberman, a pioneer in large abstract sculpture, designed Covenant to evoke feelings of interconnection for a higher purpose. For decades, Covenant—along with other campus art like the Split Button and LOVE statues—has marked a standout gathering place for students and Philadelphia residents to socialize, reflect, and celebrate.

“I like to think of the sculpture collection as our way to communicate and connect with our surrounding community,” says Dolby, noting Covenant was commissioned as part of the Percent for Art initiative. Since 1959, the Philadelphia-based program has required 1% of budgets for city-assisted construction be allocated to buying and developing public art.

Penn has partnered with several Philadelphia-based vendors for Covenant conservation, including Heritage Conservation Collective as the primary contractor with a team led by Weitzman School of Design alum David Facenda. She also credits Keast & Hood with providing structural engineering support. Additionally, Dolby’s team hired vendors for scaffolding, landscaping, painting, fencing, and construction, and works closely with Facilities & Real Estate Services to monitor progress.

The Penn Art Collection’s multifaceted, collaborative approach to this project invokes the University’s strategic framework In Principle and Practice through community-centered, thoughtful campus maintenance that helps bring people together and deepen Penn’s connection with its Philadelphia neighbors. The conservation of Covenant’s foundation and surface helps set it up for another 50 years at Penn.

“[There are] two main pillars of the work that we do at The Penn Art Collection,” says Dolby. “One is conserving the collection, and the other is sharing it.”

Learn more about Covenant and other public art pieces across Penn’s campus.