sailing together

Charlie Kaplan has always espoused a humanitarian philosophy, a desire to understand and support the lives of others. He comes by it honestly - it’s a family tradition. As he has said many times, “I am deeply committed to giving back to the community that has been so supportive.” This openness and generosity of spirit can be seen in his sculpture, beginning with earlier pieces like Negative Teardrop (2010) and more recently The Cycle of Life (2023). So when the opportunity arose to create a major large-scale work for the new campus of The Friendship Foundation, Charlie jumped at the chance.

Founded in 2007, the highly respected Friendship Foundation has provided a safe, accepting and inclusive environment where special needs children and young adults can enjoy sports, art, music and other social programs with their peers.

Designed by Gensler, construction on the new 62,000 square foot campus, situated on more than 3 acres in Redondo Beach, began in February 2023.The Foundation selected Kaplan’s elegant and symbolic sculpture Sailing Together in the early planning stage, and it will be placed prominently at the entrance to the campus. At 12 feet high, fabricated of puro bianco marble, two large sail-like structures will stand side by side in harmony and grace.

The sculpture is meaningful on many levels – it is an homage to sailing freely in the wind, the sense that anything is possible, an inspiration to keep moving forward. It is also a metaphor for the artist’s deeply-held wish that humanity could sail together, celebrating our similarities while minimizing our differences. Sailing Together is an especially fitting work to anchor the new campus. It epitomizes the foundation’s belief that every person is precious and capable of love, connection and friendship.

A lifelong Californian, Charlie is also pleased that he is able in some symbolic way to unite the Pacific Coast with Pietrasanta, the beloved Italian location where he selects his stone and often creates his sculpture. For him it is yet another demonstration of a collaboration between two cultures that further resonates with the Friendship Foundation’s mission.

Because of the scale of the project and the infinite details and calculations involved in fabricating, stabilizing and installing such a large-scale sculpture, the Kaplan Studio has remained involved with every aspect of the process, working with the architects, city planners, engineers and construction managers. As the project gets closer to completion, Kaplan is gratified to know that the message of hope in his work will be an integral part of enriching the lives of families, volunteers, the neighborhood and ideally, society at large.