"Public art is a manifestation of how we see the world-the artist's reflection of our social, cultural, and physical environment." Thus, Penny Bach introduces this fascinating history of public art in Philadelphia, narrated throughout with surprising anecdotes, biographical sketches, and more than 450 illustrations. She explores the artistic, historical, political, and social trends and events that caused the city to acquire such a rich and diverse collection of public art. Philadelphia's tradition of public art reveals the origins of our cyclic longing for public expression: the spiritual roots of Native American culture, the utilitarian needs of the colonial period, the civic glorification of American patriotism, the planning instincts that emerged from the industrial era, and the pursuit of originality and invention in the twentieth century. Guiding the reader through a chronological tour of the city's aesthetic holdings, Public Art in Philadelphia provides a sort of history of American monumental art in microcosm and offers a way to appreciate the public art we encounter, whether it is cast, carved, built, assembled, or painted.As the nation's first capital, Philadelphia began early to commemorate heroics figures, popular leaders, patriotic ideals, and historic events. From Lazzarini's marble figure of Benjamin Franklin to Pinto's Fingerspan in Fairmount Park, form Laurel Hill Cemetery's celebrated sculpture garden to Lipchitz's controversial Government of the People, and from William Penn atop City Hall to the colorful murals by the Anti-Graffiti Network, public art has continued to enhance, define, and challenge Philadelphians' perception of their city.With perhaps the largest collection of public sculpture in the world, Philadelphia's art acquisitions span the history of the United States. Bach examines the gradual transformation over three centuries of style, theme, and reception of statues, murals, and other art forms. Shorter thematic essays make "connections" between works, ideas, artists, and civic missions. A catalogue focuses on more than 200 individual works, noting the materials, dimensions, location history, and commissioning process, and suggesting the vast range of public art. The armchair tourist, for example, can visit Dickens and Little Nell in Clark Park, the John Wanamaker's Eagle, the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors in Fairmount Park, or the Julius Erving Memorial on Ridge Avenue, among many others. A set of maps encourage readers to view the works in their public context.Public Art in Philadelphia offers a unique tour of both the familiar and the overlooked treasures that give meaning to the public environment, that reconnect art to daily life, and that remind Philadelphia's visitors and residents of what was considered important to previous generations. Author note: Penny Balkin Bach is Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Art Association, the nation's first non-profit organization dedicated to the integration of art and urban planning. She is also the author of Form and Function: Proposals for Public Art for Philadelphia.

"What will we leave for future generations? What is it about a community that might inspire a work of art? Can that art give meaning to our public spaces?" "The artists and communities participating in the program New Land Marks: Public Art, Community, and Meaning of Place have been grappling with these challenging questions. The resulting book documents how a long-standing Philadelphia cultural organization - the Fairmount Park Art Association - initiated this program in order to plan and create unique public art projects with communities that volunteered to participate. Artists have been working with these communities to incorporate public art into ongoing community development, urban greening, civic history, streetscape enhancement, and other revitalization initiatives. The resulting proposals - which represent "works in process" - celebrate community identity, commemorate "untold" histories, inspire civic pride, respond to the local environment, and invigorate public spaces. This book is a guide for those interested in how communities and artists can examine the appearance and meaning of public spaces." "In addition to illustrating the work of the twenty-one artists participating in this innovative public art project, the book includes essays by noted authors Ellen Dissanayake, Thomas Hine, Lucy Lippard, and Penny Balkin Bach, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Art Association, who also served as general editor."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"Philadelphia is thought to have the oldest and largest collection of public art in the country. Some of the works are in prominent locations and have become tourist destinations, much like the Liberty Bell or the Rocky statue. Other works of art define particular neighborhoods, parks and personalities. There are over 3,000 murals spread throughout Philly. It's an extraordinary number, but here, the extraordinary has become an ordinary part of life. These treasured works of art are so neatly woven into the fabric of the city, and have become so commonplace, that life simply moves around them. The art forms a backdrop to everyday activities. Some of these works are beautiful, some are powerful, and some serve as monuments to great figures, while still others were created to stir our imagination and curiosity. Each photograph in this book represents a moment in time when photographer Ed Hille was able to fulfill his purpose of helping people to appreciate and see new angles of the city and the art that surrounds them. This book is not just about the art on display, but also about the many ways in which we experience the art. It's a testament to Philadelphia, a city that has committed significant resources to creating and preserving public art"--

How to Build a Monument / Paul M. Farber -- Memorializing Philadelphia as a Place of Crisis and Boundless Hope / Ken Lum -- Public Practice / Jane Golden -- Tania Bruguera, Monument to New Immigrants -- Mel Chin, Two Me -- Kara Crombie, Sample Philly -- The Art of the Proposal: Reading the Monument Lab Open Data Set / Laurie Allen.

This is a nuts and bolts guide for arts professionals and volunteers creating public art in their communities, with information on planning, funding and legal issues.

Featured here is the remarkable story of an unlikely artistic collaboration between boys who live in a residential facility and men who lived in a maximum-security state correctional facility--and the eight-mile long mural they created.

Stretched across city walls and along rooftops, Stephen Powers's colorful large-scale murals sneak up on you. "Open your eyes / I see the sunrise," "If you were here I'd be home," "Forever begins when you say yes." What at first looks like nothing as much as an advertisement suddenly becomes something grander and more mysterious—a hand-painted love letter at billboard size. Combining community activism and public art, Powers and his team of sign mechanics collaborate with a neighborhood's residents to create visual jingles— sincere and often poignant affirmations and confessions that reflect the collective hopes and dreams of the host community. A Love Letter to the City gathers the artist's powerful public art project for the first time, including murals on the walls and rooftops of Brooklyn and Syracuse, New York; Philadelphia; Dublin and Belfast, Ireland; São Paolo, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa.