Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) (1990-1995) was a nationwide survey committed to documenting and preserving America’s outdoor sculpture. Established in 1990, SOS! helped educate local communities about America’s endangered sculptural heritage.
Working with 106 cooperating regional partners, SOS! conducted the first ever comprehensive survey of America’s outdoor sculpture. From 1990 through 1995, nearly 7,000 dedicated volunteers were recruited and trained to collect information on the history and condition of outdoor sculpture in their local communities. They documented and photographed nearly 32,000 outdoor sculptures across America. The information they collected is part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s online Inventory of American Sculpture database.
Search the outdoor sculpture listings in the Inventory of American Sculpture or visit the SOS! Group Photo Pool on Flickr
SOS! was jointly sponsored by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Heritage Preservation, Inc. SOS! was supported by major contributions from Target Stores, National Endowment for the Arts, Pew Charitable Trusts, Getty Grant Program, and Henry Luce Foundation, among others.