Museum Without Walls
One of the greatest things about Philadelphia is all of the wonderful art scattered throughout the city. It is almost impossible to turn a corner without finding some kind of sculpture or mural. For one of my classes, we were given a list of 44 pieces of art all over the city to find and photograph. On Saturday, I visited 14 of them and here is my top 5:
- Common Threads
Meg Saligman painted this beautiful mural found at the corner of Broad and Spring Garden St in 1997. At the time, it was one of the biggest and most expensive murals in Philadelphia. It shows students from local high schools over looking the busy subway stop. It also features figurines found in her grandmother’s old house. I was drawn to this mural because of how big it was. The building itself is huge and this mural reaches from top to bottom. I also loved the extreme detail and bold colors throughout.
- Rocky
It wouldn’t be a trip to Philadelphia without a visit to the Rocky Statue. This statue was a gift from Sylvester Stallone himself to the city of Philadelphia in the 1980s after the third Rocky film wrapped. It can be found at the bottom of the PMOA steps. These steps were named the second most famous filming location in the world! A little known fact about this piece of art is that when it was first gifted to the art museum, they didn’t want it. Museum officials called it “a tacky movie prop.” Now, even though it is placed in front of the museum steps, it is not affiliated with the museum itself.
- Clothespin
Claes Oldenburg created this famous sculpture in 1976. This 45’ tall creation is made out of steel and can be found between the two office towers in Centre Square facing City Hall. Claes had said that this piece was inspired by the sculpture “The Kiss” by Constantin Brancusi, which can be found in the PMOA. I especially liked this one because of the fact that it is just a normal household object transformed into a 45’ tall piece of art that has become a famous Philadelphia landmark.
- Playing Angels
This beautiful sculture by Carl Milles was created in 1950. A group of angels play instruments on top of pedestals overlooking the Schuylkill River. I felt drawn to the whimsical nature of this sculpture. It was unlike anything ive ever seen. Now, you can find this on the Schuylkill River Trail across from Green Fountain St. and Kelly Drive.
- The Secret Book
This final piece (and my favorite) was one that was not even on the list. It is located around the corner from the Free Library of Philadelphia on Vine St. This mural by Joshua Sarentitis is a perfect example of how powerful reading can be and how important it is to have a strong imagination. If you look closely, the words the little girl is reading are, “And now I will unclasp a secret book”. This particular piece caught my eye because of the colors of course, but I especially liked it because it will most likely be interpreted by young children as a reminder of how enjoyable reading can be.