LoveLocks

2023, steel and granite, 12'-0" X 10'-0" X 4'-0" ft, 3,000 lbs.

Public Art Commission 2023: New Bedford, Massachusetts
A permanent public sculpture titled "LoveLocks" by Keith Francis, standing 12 feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs. The central form is a monumental matte black steel whale fluke that curves upward to create a negative space heart in the center. The sculpture is anchored to a base of two jagged, 1,000-pound granite foundation stones salvaged from the historic 1862 Wamsutta Mill. A large-scale tan rope fishing net is suspended from the fluke and draped toward the base, representing New Bedford’s maritime heritage. Dozens of small, heart-shaped padlocks in various colors (red, blue, pink, and yellow) are attached to the netting. The sculpture is installed in a public brick plaza with residential buildings and trees in the background. The work serves as a synthesis of the city's industrial and oceanic identity.
A permanent public sculpture titled "LoveLocks" by Keith Francis, standing 12 feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs. The central form is a monumental matte black steel whale fluke that curves upward to create a negative space heart in the center. The sculpture is anchored to a base of two jagged, 1,000-pound granite foundation stones salvaged from the historic 1862 Wamsutta Mill. A large-scale tan rope fishing net is suspended from the fluke and draped toward the base, representing New Bedford’s maritime heritage. Dozens of small, heart-shaped padlocks in various colors (red, blue, pink, and yellow) are attached to the netting. The sculpture is installed in a public brick plaza with residential buildings and trees in the background. The work serves as a synthesis of the city's industrial and oceanic identity.
A permanent public sculpture titled "LoveLocks" by Keith Francis, standing 12 feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs. The central form is a monumental matte black steel whale fluke that curves upward to create a negative space heart in the center. The sculpture is anchored to a base of two jagged, 1,000-pound granite foundation stones salvaged from the historic 1862 Wamsutta Mill. A large-scale tan rope fishing net is suspended from the fluke and draped toward the base, representing New Bedford’s maritime heritage. Dozens of small, heart-shaped padlocks in various colors (red, blue, pink, and yellow) are attached to the netting. The sculpture is installed in a public brick plaza with residential buildings and trees in the background. The work serves as a synthesis of the city's industrial and oceanic identity.
A permanent public sculpture titled "LoveLocks" by Keith Francis, standing 12 feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs. The central form is a monumental matte black steel whale fluke that curves upward to create a negative space heart in the center. The sculpture is anchored to a base of two jagged, 1,000-pound granite foundation stones salvaged from the historic 1862 Wamsutta Mill. A large-scale tan rope fishing net is suspended from the fluke and draped toward the base, representing New Bedford’s maritime heritage. Dozens of small, heart-shaped padlocks in various colors (red, blue, pink, and yellow) are attached to the netting. The sculpture is installed in a public brick plaza with residential buildings and trees in the background. The work serves as a synthesis of the city's industrial and oceanic identity.
This permanent public sculpture, a monumental work of steel and stone, is a direct tribute to New Bedford’s dual historical heart: the sea and the mill.
At its core, the piece features a whale fluke ascending to form a heart, symbolizing the city’s deep connection to the ocean and the enduring spirit of its people. This central motif is interwoven with a rope net, a material representation of the Southcoast’s rich fishing heritage, honoring the labor and livelihood that continues to define the region today.
The sculpture stands firmly on a foundation that speaks to the city's industrial past. Its base is constructed from two massive 1,000-pound granite foundation stones, salvaged from the original 1862 Wamsutta Mill. These stones anchor the oceanic symbol to the land, representing the extensive manufacturing industry that powered New Bedford through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
By joining the stone of the mill and the net of the ocean, the sculpture synthesizes the city's identity, celebrating both its entrepreneurial fortitude and its maritime legacy. This project, made possible through a vital collaboration between New Bedford Creative and MassDevelopment TDI, is a powerful, permanent landmark meant to inspire reflection on the history that built this community and the heart that sustains it.
 

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