Letras de Ponce

The Letras de Ponce (English: Ponce letters) is a famous landmark in Barrio Sabanetas in Ponce, Puerto Rico, located southbound on PR-52 at the intersection with PR-10. The iconic monument consists of five letters that spell the name of the city P-O-N-C-E in 20-foot high (6.1 m) by 18-foot wide (5.5 m) by 12-foot deep (3.7 m) red and black letters. The letters, and its resulting sign, were designed by Carlos Rivera Villafañe, a sculptor from Ponce.[3] The landmark is said to be "known to every Puerto Rican."[4]

Letras de Ponce
Letras de P-O-N-C-E in Barrio Sabanetas, Ponce, Puerto Rico
General information
Architectural styleModern
LocationPonce
CountryPuerto Rico
Coordinates18°01′31.51″N 66°34′12.86″W
Construction started2003
CompletedJanuary 2004[1]
CostUS$430,000
ClientPuerto Rico Department of Transportation
Technical details
Structural systemMarina steel[2]
Size20 ft (6.1 m) high, 18 ft (5.5 m) wide, 12 ft (3.7 m) deep
Design and construction
ArchitectCarlos Rivera Villafañe

History

In 2002 the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation presented a contest for the design of a monument to be placed on State Route 52 (PR-52), at the entrance of the city of Ponce.[5] The contest was part of what would become 97 projects of public art spread throughout Puerto Rico.[6]

In selecting the work of art, the Government of Puerto Rico considered 318[7] submissions from hundreds of artists around the world, including Ada Bobonis, Ann Hamilton, Antoni Muntadas, Liliana Porter, and Devorah Sperber.[8] Rivera Villafañe's proposal was one of the winners, and the winner for the Ponce entrance monument.

Construction and design

The letters are built of "marine steel", also known as corteen, the same material used in the construction of ships.[9] Each letter measures 20 feet high by 18 feet wide by 12 feet deep.[10] Together they span an area of half a kilometer. The breadth of the letters is intended to symbolize the extension of the city of Ponce, "heightening Ponce's urban identity and raising it to its territorial extension."[11] The letters cost US$430,000.[12] Its design, manufacture and suiting all were done in Puerto Rico.[13]

Carlos Rivera Villafañe

Carlos Rivera Villafañe was born in Ponce in 1966. He graduated from the Escuela de Artes Graficas de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico with a bachelor's degree in 1989. In addition to the Letras de Ponce, Rivera Villafañe has works in San Juan, Madrid, Lima, Havana, Cuenca, Slovenia, Yugoslavia, New York City, and Miami.[14][15]

Maintenance

The monument is regularly maintained with fresh paint as recommended by its designer.[16] They require special care as well as a special paint.[17] They are painted in black and red, the traditional colors of the city of Ponce.[18] The monument is also painted after acts of vandalism, including graffiti.

Location

The monument is located on smooth, flat terrain, and each letter is surrounded by flowers. Its site is just outside the northeastern edge of the urban area of Ponce, on PR-52, the main road into Ponce from San Juan. While the monument is visible as motorists approach the city on the highway, it has been noted that motorists are not able to stop to admire it, as they risk being fined.[19]

The monument's unique location made it an ideal site to hold a protest. In October 2009, a group of some 20 Government of Puerto Rico public employees used the site to launch a protest against their recent layoff.[20]

Alterations and vandalism

It is illegal to make unauthorized physical alterations to the sign. The letters have been vandalised a few times. In November 2011, the letter "O" was vandalised with graffiti.[21]

Controversy

Due to its location at the center and both sides of a major expressway, it is one of Puerto Rico's most controversial works of public art.[22] In April 2009, the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) was fined almost US$80 million for placing the letters there.[23] Subsequently, a bill was introduced into the Legislature of Puerto Rico to eliminate public art from Puerto Rico roads. The basis was that, allegedly, they were in violation of the Federal Highway Administration regulations.[24] In February 2010, it was agreed that the letters would stay where they were.[25]

References
  1. Sandra Caquías Cruz. El Nuevo Dia. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 27 July 2005. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  2. Conjunto excultorico Letras de Ponce. Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  3. Conjunto excultorico Letras de Ponce. Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  4. Alonso & Carus...50 años de arduo trabajo y dedicación. Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Planos y Capacetes. March – April 2012. Page 20. Retrieved 28 September 2012..
  5. Ponce: Letras de Ponce. F. Suarez. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico. Page 15. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  6. The Ponce Letters Monument. Travel Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  7. Ponce: Letras de Ponce. F. Suarez. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico. Page 15. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  8. Las Letras de Ponce: Símbolo del orgullo ponceño…¡al estilo Hollywood! Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Rachell E. López Ortiz. KoolTour Activa Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  9. Conjunto excultorico Letras de Ponce. Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  10. Conjunto excultorico Letras de Ponce. Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  11. Las Letras de Ponce: Símbolo del orgullo ponceño…¡al estilo Hollywood! Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Rachell E. López Ortiz. KoolTour Activa Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  12. Ponce Ciudad Senorial: Atracciones Turisticas. Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Government of the Autonoumous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  13. Ponce: Letras de Ponce. F. Suarez. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Page 15. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  14. Las Letras de Ponce: Símbolo del orgullo ponceño…¡al estilo Hollywood! Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Rachell E. López Ortiz. KoolTour Activa Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  15. The Ponce Letters Monument. Travel Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  16. Pintan las letras de Ponce y Mayita dice que se quedan donde están. Primera Hora. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  17. Alcaldesa de Ponce repudia vandalismo a las ‘Letras de Ponce’. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  18. Critican vandalismo en letras de Ponce. Primera Hora. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  19. The Ponce Letters Monument. Travel Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  20. Toman letras de Ponce. Noticias Online. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  21. Alcaldesa de Ponce repudia vandalismo a las ‘Letras de Ponce’. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  22. The Ponce Letters Monument. Travel Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  23. Demanda por las letras de Ponce: El Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas confirmó que ha sido multado por casi $80 millones. Ariel Rivera Vázquez. WAPA-TV. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 26 April 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  24. Pintan las letras de Ponce y Mayita dice que se quedan donde están. Primera Hora. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  25. Alcaldesa de Ponce repudia vandalismo a las ‘Letras de Ponce’. El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.


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