Not only does Philadelphia boast an astonishing collection of 4,500 catalogued pieces spanning four centuries, it is also the birthplace of many public art policy innovations, including the Percent for Art and Mural Arts programs and the Philadelphia Art Commission. While these public programs have been successful, they have been in place for decades (a century in the case of the Art Commission) and need to adapt and evolve in order for the city to sufficiently manage its collection.

A new study by PennPraxis explores Philadelphia’s public art inventory and identifies opportunities for the city to modernize and improve the policy systems that nurture it. According to the authors, Philadelphia has “an historic opportunity, with fresh leadership in the new Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, to improve upon and explore new forms of expression tied to our identity as a world-class city.”
 
The William Penn Foundation commissioned the report to provide the recently established Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the city’s first Chief Cultural Officer with a comprehensive overview of Philadelphia’s current public art landscape, models for managing and conserving these resources, and opportunities for Philadelphia to capitalize on its significant public art assets.
 
PennPraxis conducted more than 50 local interviews, extensively studied the local public art environment, and researched comparable cities around the country. Their report reaffirms that public art continues to be a defining feature of Philadelphia and emphasizes the major role that the current mayor has established for the Chief Cultural Officer in his administration. Among their findings, the authors recommend the creation of a vision for public art in Philadelphia and a long-term framework for the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy that can span political administrations.

Download Related Documents

	Executive Summary (7490K) [download]
	Full Report (26737K) [download]