public art

Things to Do

The Academy of Natural Sciences Seeks to Save Our Rivers With Art

Public art can transform — a wall, a block, an abandoned lot. And this summer, the Academy of Natural Sciences is hoping that public art […]

City Life

10 Powerful War Memorials in Philly

The city overflows with monuments to America’s soldiers. Most days, we pass them by. Today, we pause to salute these, our 10 favorite war memorials. […]

City Life

12 Cool Philly Public Art Works to Go Out and See Right Now

We love it when out-of-towners ask us to point them to the LOVE statue, the Magic Gardens … Rocky. But what about when visitors aren’t […]

City Life

Who Was the Real Christopher Columbus?

The fight over the Christopher Columbus statue in South Philly’s Marconi Plaza sounds simple enough: Either the statue should stay or it should go. It […]

Cathy Harris
City Life

What Should Being Black in Philly Look Like? It Should Feature Public Art That Reflects the Community

Cathy Harris, 59, of Wynnefield, is director of community murals at Mural Arts Philadelphia. I first joined Mural Arts Philadelphia 18 years ago. I remember my […]

Leni Lenape sculptures
City Life

The Best Thing That Happened This Week: Not Just Fishtown Anymore

Did you celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday? Fishtown certainly did, beneath the steady gaze of its new light-pole toppers: the wild turkey and white […]

robot northern liberties
City Life

Artist Behind Massive Robot Sculpture in NoLibs Insists It Comes in Peace

Late last week, we noticed something strange going on in Northern Liberties: Construction workers were assembling a bizarre metal structure in a vacant lot along […]

sea monsters here navy yard
City Life

The Best Thing That Happened This Week: The Navy Yard Got Legs

When I was a kid, growing up in Glenside, we drove into the city regularly — to visit relatives, go to museums, see the Wanamaker’s […]

City Life

Philly Just Unveiled Its First Memorial to an African-American Figure

A 12-foot bronze statue of Octavius V. Catto — 19th century educator, baseball player, abolitionist, and civil rights activist — was unveiled today on the […]

Love Park install - Dilworth Park
City Life

Love Sculpture Moved From LOVE Park to Dilworth Park

For the George Young Company, it was a labor of love. Today, the company — working with Materials Conservation — moved the Love sculpture from […]

Things to Do

You Need This Pocket-Sized Guide to Philadelphia’s Public Art

The City has published a nifty, highly portable reference guide to public art around Center City, Fairmount Park and University City. The idea behind A […]

Things to Do

Art Installation Will Light Up Welcome Center in LOVE Park Redesign

When the redesign of LOVE Park is complete, the already-futuristic-looking Welcome Center will look even more like a hovering spacecraft thanks to a $230,000 art installation that […]

Things to Do

Robert Indiana’s AMOR Sculpture Unveiled on Art Museum Steps

Going with the idea of our city being on a world stage while Pope Francis and the World Meeting of Families are in town this week, […]

Things to Do

Joe Frazier Statue to Be Unveiled Next Month at Xfinity Live

  Philly artist Stephen Layne’s 12-foot-tall, 1,800-pound Joe Frazier statue has been bronzed and is finally ready to be erected in its permanent home at […]

Clothespin, B. Krist for Visit Philadelphia | Doctored Paint Torch via Streets Dept.
City Life

Should Philly Get to Vote on Its Public Art Installations?

I don’t have great taste in art. Or, maybe even worse, I don’t have any taste in art. I have a couple of nice pieces […]