Is downtown’s Village Green the next stop for Bogert statue? Mayor asks that it be considered

Acting on a promise made years ago by members of the Palm Springs City Council, Mayor Ron deHarte asked Wednesday evening for support of a move that would task the the Public Arts Commission with considering an offer from the Palm Springs Historical Society to relocate the Frank Bogert statue to the Village Green.

The statue was removed from its position in front of City Hall in 2022 after a heavily-criticized Human Rights Commission report implicated Bogert in the relocation of Section 14 residents in the late 1960s. Last year, the city agreed to make retributions for its part in the evictions to a group of former residents of Section 14 and their descendants.

In a recent letter to Public Arts Commission Chair Gary Armstrong, Palm Springs Historical Society President Tracy Conrad indicated that the organization would assume full responsibility for the statue’s transport, installation and ongoing maintenance for relocation to the Village Green.

Located downtown at 221 South Palm Canyon Dr., Village Green contains multiple historic buildings including the McCallum Adobe, Ruddy’s General Store, the Oasis Museum and Cornelia White House.

The statue is currently in storage and awaiting a new home. Conrad’s letter stated that Village Green would provide a fitting and publicly accessible setting that aligns with the Historical Society’s mission to preserve and interpret Palm Springs’ unique history.

The statue of a rider mounted on a horse was given to the city by a group of citizens and accepted by ordinance in 1990. Created by prominent Mexican sculptor Raymundo Cobo Reyes in bronze, the piece is part of the city’s public art overseen and stewarded by the Public Arts Commission.

After brief discussion, City Manager Scott Stiles said he would discuss the matter with the Public Arts Commission chair.

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