Lady of the Lake Sculpture

Gazing upon the Lady of the Lake, one might sense a quiet strength. This Art Deco statue, officially “Nuestra Reina de Los Angeles” (Our Queen of Los Angeles), has stood as a symbol of resilience in Echo Park. The Lady of the Lake was created by Ada May Sharpless. She sculpted the fourteen-foot figure from poured concrete in 1934 as part of the Federal Public Works of Art Project (PWAP). This program provided opportunities for artists during the Great Depression, paying them a modest wage to create public art. Sharpless, a graduate of the University of Southern California and a student of Emile Antoine Bourdelle in Paris, poured her artistic vision into this iconic work. Originally intended to be cast in bronze, the statue was ultimately gifted to the city in 1935. The Lady of the Lake was not without her critics. Los Angeles Times art critic Arthur Miller found the piece lacking subtlety. Sharpless, however, defended her work, confident in its artistic merit. Over the years, the Lady of the Lake endured vandalism and neglect, her concrete form bearing the scars of time and graffiti. By 1986, she was removed from her place at the tip of the peninsula in Echo Park Lake and placed in storage. But her story didn’t end there. In 1999, as part of Echo Park’s revitalization, she was restored to her former glory. Now protected with an anti-graffiti sealant, she stands near the Boathouse, a testament to the enduring spirit of art and community. Her pedestal displays reliefs of City Hall and other local landmarks, a reminder of her connection to Los Angeles. The Lady of the Lake is more than a statue. She is a witness to history, a symbol of Echo Park’s transformation, and a reminder of the power of art to endure.