Philadelphia Public Art @philart.net

Architecture: Interiors

Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler
* Bas-relief bust of Smedley D. Butler
* small head and upper torso
* inscription:
United States Marine Corps
Director of
Public Safety
Philadelphia
January 7, 1924
December 23, 1925
He enforced the law impartially
He defended it courageously
He proved incorruptible
* Interior. North Pavilion of City Hall. South side of JFK at Broad.
* 39.952950,-75.163500 [map] [nearby]
* On the City Hall tour
* Exhibits: War
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's Smedley Butler page
+philadelphiabuildings.org's City Hall page
+wikipedia.org's City Hall page

Pennsylvania Railroad Memorial Plaques
* Memorials to William Wallace Atterbury, George Gibbs and John Edgar Thomson
* small heads, trains
* inscription:
1866-1935
William Wallace Atterbury
Tenth President of The Pennsylvania Railroad
Director General of Transportation of American Expeditionary Forces - World War I.
Friend of Labor - Pioneer in collective bargaining
Servant of the American people in war and peace
With courage and foresight he introduced electrification in to the railroad's system
1861 - 1940
George Gibbs
Consulting Engineer
Whose vision and tenacity of purpose led to the development of the
Pennsylvania Railroad's articulated electric locomotive class GG1
placed in operation 1934
and contributed so much to the advancement of the art of electric railroad transportation
1808 - 1874
J. Edgar Thomson
Father of the Pennsylvania Railroad
First Chief Engineer - Third President
He planned the railroad's present system
He left his fortune in trust for the education and maintenance of female orphans of railway employees whose fathers may have been killed in the discharge of their duties
* North Waiting Room. 30th Street Station. Northeast corner, 30th and Market.
* 39.956205,-75.181755 [map] [nearby]
* On the Avenue of Technology tour
* Exhibits: Mass Transit
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's William Wallace Atterbury page
+wikipedia.org's John Edgar Thomson page
+wikipedia.org's 30th Street Station page

Spirit of Transportation
Karl Bitter, 1895
* big group of people, mostly standing, some sitting, horses, sheep, oxen, wagon and carriage, basket of fruit, model train, model boat, model airship
* inscription:
This panel, the conception and work of Karl Bitter, sculptor, was executed in 1895 and placed in the waiting room of Broad Street Station Philadelphia from which place it was removed to this site in January, 1933. The spirit of transportation is represented in triumphant procession of progress led by a little child carrying a model of an airship, a prophetic vision of a mode of transportation to come.
* North Waiting Room. 30th Street Station. Northeast corner, 30th and Market.
* 39.956140,-75.182025 [map] [nearby]
* On the Avenue of Technology tour
* Exhibits: Mass Transit
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's Karl Bitter page
+wikipedia.org's 30th Street Station page

Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
James Earle Fraser, 1938
* Statue of Benjamin Franklin
* big seated person, chair
* Free, but not always open. Check times. The last picture is of a reference from the mural at 24th and Chestnut.
* Interior. Franklin Institute. West side of 20th, South of the Parkway.
* 39.958200,-75.173000 [map] [nearby]
* On the Parkway and Pennsylvania tour
* Exhibits: Favorites
* See also:
+official page for this piece
+wikipedia.org's James Earle Fraser page
+ushistory.org's The Electric Ben Franklin
+fi.edu

PTC Trolley No. 2733
St. Louis Car Company, 1947
* big actual trolley
* Accessible from the concourse when the building is open, visible through the glass when it isn't.
* Interior. Concourse level. 1234 Market. South side of Market between 12th and 13th.
* 39.951850,-75.160850 [map] [nearby]
* On the Convention District tour
* Exhibits: Mass Transit
* See also:
+youtube video walk around of this piece
+wikipedia.org's PCC streatcar page
+wikipedia.org's St. Louis Car Company page

PTC Bus No. 1312
ACF-Brill Motors Co., 1949
* front of an actual bus
* The original was a 1948 model C-44. This is a reconstruction from a donated 1949 model C-36. Accessible from the concourse when the building is open, visible through the glass when it isn't.
* Interior. Concourse level. 1234 Market. South side of Market between 12th and 13th.
* 39.951800,-75.160825 [map] [nearby]
* On the Convention District tour
* Exhibits: Mass Transit
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's J.G. Brill Company page

Pennsylvania Railroad World War II Memorial
Walker Hancock, 1952
* big vertical people (one winged)
* prominently displayed in the movie Witness
* inscription:
front:
In memory of the men and women of the Pennsylvania Railroad who laid down their lives for our country 1941-1945.
back:
That all travelers here may remember those of the Pennsylvania Railroad who did not return from the Second World War.
* East end of the main lobby. 30th Street Station. Northeast corner, 30th and Market.
* 39.955655,-75.181400 [map] [nearby]
* On the Avenue of Technology tour
* Exhibits: Religious, War, Mass Transit
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's Walker Hancock page
+wikipedia.org's 30th Street Station page

Untitled Wall Sculpture
George Sugarman, 1972 (approximate)
* abstract relief
* Visible through the window
* Interior. Albert M. Greenfield School. South side of Chestnut, West of 22nd.
* 39.952400,-75.177500 [map] [nearby]
* On the Rittenhouse Square tour
* See also:
+georgesugarman.com
+albertmgreenfieldschool.org

Ice
Robinson Fredenthal, 1973
* abstract frozen water
* Usually open, visible through the window when not
* In the concourse stairwell. 1234 Market. Southeast corner 13th and Market.
* 39.951900,-75.161300 [map] [nearby]
* On the Convention District tour
* See also:
+robinfredenthal.com

Milord La Chamere
Jean Dubuffet, 1973
* big standing person
* Was on the wall on the North side of the building on Market between 15th and 16th, facing Northwest. Moved some time before November 29, 2019. The first two pictures are from the current location. Visible through the doors when locked.
* Concourse level of the atrium. Centre Square. South side of Market at 15th.
* 39.952100,-75.166200 [map] [nearby]
* On the City Hall tour
* Exhibits: Favorites, Moved
* See also:
+WestWords blog post about this piece
+wikipedia.org's Jean Dubuffet page
+wikipedia.org's Centre Square page

Water
Robinson Fredenthal, 1973
* big abstract water
* Usually open, visible through the window when not
* In the lobby. 1234 Market. South side of Market, East of 13th.
* 39.951800,-75.160700 [map] [nearby]
* On the Convention District tour
* See also:
+robinfredenthal.com

Bicentennial Dawn
Louise Nevelson, 1975
* abstract forms
* Visible through the glass. Sometimes accessible through the building.
* inscription:
My search in life has been for a new seeing, a new image, a new insight, a new consciousness. This search includes the object as well as the in-between places - the dawns and the dusks, the objective world, the heavenly spheres, the places between the land and the sea... Man's creations arrest the secret images that can be found in nature.
Bicentennial Dawn is a place, an environment that exists between night and day - solid and liquid - temporal and eternal substances. It can be experienced as a monument to the past as well as the spores of the future. Contemplation is the means by which we extend our awareness.
Bicentennial Dawn is a contemplative experience in search of awareness that already exists in the human mind. The inner and the outer equal one.
* Inside. Federal Court. 6th and Market, Northwest of the Northwest corner.
* 39.951225,-75.150600 [map] [nearby]
* On the Independence Mall tour
* See also:
+si.edu interview with Louise Nevelson
+wikipedia.org's Louise Nevelson page
+wikipedia.org's James A. Byrne United States Courthouse page

Commuter Tunnel Mural
David Beck (Architect), Verlin Miller, 1984
* big trees
* The mosaics run two full blocks on both sides of the station.
* Tunnel walls. Jefferson Station. Underground. Between Market and Filbert from 10th to 12th..
* 39.952500,-75.158150 [map] [nearby]
* On the Convention District tour
* Exhibits: Mosaic, Mass Transit
* See also:
+picture from flickr.com
+whyy.org article about Shirt Corner Plus mentioning David Beck
+nytimes.com article about Philadelphia alleys quoting David Beck
+wikipedia.org's Jefferson Station page

Monet's Haystacks
Stuart Netsky, 1991
* reference to the haystack paintings of Claude Monet
* abstract
* freely accessible when the building is open if you can manage the stairs or the escalators if they're on
* inscription: Billboard flickers on Plastic Panels on Wood. Purchased by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts for the City of Philadelphia Percent for Art Program
* Inside South wall, 2nd floor. Kimmel Center. South side of Spruce, West of Broad.
* 39.946520,-75.165575 [map] [nearby]
* On the Avenue of the Arts tour
* See also:
+stuartnetsky.com
+wikipedia.org's Claude Monet page
+ensembleartsphilly.org's Kimmel Center page

cirque, CIRQUE
Judy Pfaff, 1993
* big abstract forms
* Unless you're there for an event, you'll have to look at it through the entrance
* On the ceiling. Ballroom of the Convention Center. Inside Reading Terminal Headhouse, North side of Market between 11th and 12th, at the top of the escalator (top floor).
* 39.952800,-75.159050 [map] [nearby]
* On the Convention District tour
* See also:
+judypfaffstudio.com
+paconvention.com

Philbert the Pig
Eric Berg, Victoria Davila, 1995
* pig, food (painted tiles)
* The market is not always open. Check hours before visiting.
* inscription:
By feeding Philbert you will help improve the health of people in needy communities by providing fresh, nutritious food and nutrition education. Philbert is sponsored by CoreStates Bank for the benefit of the Reading Terminal Market Trust
* Inside. Reading Terminal Market. Southeast corner, 12th and Arch.
* 39.953400,-75.159025 [map] [nearby]
* On the Convention District tour
* Exhibits: Mosaic
* See also:
+bergbronze.com's page for this piece
+bergbronze.com
+victoriadavila.com
+Reading Terminal Market

Spiral Ears
Ming Fay, 1995
* big abstract ear
* Visible from the lobby and from outside. The first picture is from the staircase. The second is from outside through the highly reflective dark glass.
* Over the stairs behind security. Justice Center. North side of Filbert, West of 13th.
* 39.953325,-75.161600 [map] [nearby]
* On the City Hall tour
* Exhibits: New
* See also:
+artist's page for this piece
+mingfay.com
+wikipedia.org's Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice page

Humanity in Motion
Jonathan Borofsky, 2007
* standing people
* The pictures were taken from outside the building
* Interior. Comcast Center. Northwest corner, 17th and JFK.
* 39.954550,-75.168550 [map] [nearby]
* On the JFK North tour
* See also:
+Max Buten's picture of this piece
+borofsky.com
+wikipedia.org's Comcast Center page

Before, Now, Tomorrow
Erica Loustau, Henry Loustau, 2008
* clock, gears and wheels, moon and stars
* There are two related pieces on the platforms.
* Interior. 52nd Street L Station. Southeast corner, 52nd and Market.
* 39.959800,-75.224700 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: Mass Transit
* See also:
+ericaloustau.com
+henryloustau.com
+wikipedia.org's 52nd Street Station page

Philadelphia Building Chandelier
Warren Muller, 2008
* chandelier
* Visible through the window
* Interior. East side of Juniper, North of Walnut.
* 39.949425,-75.163050 [map] [nearby]
* On the Gayborhood tour
* See also:
+bahdeebahdu.com's Warren Muller's page

Landscape Junk Assemblage
Tom Deininger, 2011
* plants, clouds, butterflies
* Clearly visible through the window on Arch. If you're lucky the guard will let you inside. I do not have an actual title for this piece. "Landscape Junk Assemblages" is the artist's name for this category of work.
* Lobby. South side of Arch, East of 17th.
* 39.954850,-75.167800 [map] [nearby]
* On the JFK North tour
* See also:
+projectvortex.org's Tom Deininger's page

Looking-Glass
Robert Woodward (aka Peanutbutter), 2012
* abstract forms, actual mirrors
* You can enter the station from any of the corners. Parts of the piece, shown here, are visible from the mezzanine level through the bars. Much more of it is visible from the platform if you pay the fare.
* Downstairs. Broad-Girard Station. Northwest corner, Broad and Girard.
* 39.971620,-75.159815 [map] [nearby]
* On the Temple Southwest tour
* Exhibits: Mosaic
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's Broad-Girard Station page

Riders
William Daniel Travis, 2012
* small people standing
* Was underneath Market between 12th and 13th. Not there when checked 12/12/2024.
* Both platforms. 13th Street L Station.
* 39.951950,-75.160700 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: Missing, Mass Transit
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's 13th Street Station page

Suburban Station
Isaiah Zagar, 2012
* sign, words, standing, running, walking, sitting people, faces, hats, glasses, abstract designs
* inscription:
Welcome to Suburban Station Concourse
Every day in Philadelphia
lips, nose, eyes
Love
hat
shoes
boots
my phone
lost and found
so many places
Talk Radio
Worth Millions
Walkers
Do I have my wallet????
Seeing see
stockings
gaberdine
* Inside. Suburban Station. Underground, North of the Southeast corner of 17th and JFK..
* 39.954275,-75.168075 [map] [nearby]
* On the JFK North tour
* Exhibits: Mosaic, Mass Transit
* See also:
+phillymagicgardens.org
+wikipedia.org's Suburban Station page

Orders of Nature
Soo Sunny Park, 2014
* big abstract form
* visible through the highly reflective glass
* Interior. Northeast corner, 38th and Market.
* 39.956790,-75.197675 [map] [nearby]
* On the Avenue of Technology tour
* See also:
+soosunnypark.com

Exploded Paradigm
Conrad Shawcross, 2018
* big abstract tower, idea
* Clearly visible from the sidewalk when the building is closed.
* Interacts with For Philadelphia
* Lobby. Comcast Technology Center. Southwest corner, 18th and Arch.
* 39.954900,-75.169850 [map] [nearby]
* On the JFK North tour
* See also:
+conradshawcross.com
+wikipedia.org's Comcast Technology Center page

For Philadelphia
Jenny Holzer, 2018
* big lighted scrolling words
* Clearly visible from the sidewalk when the building is closed.
* Interacts with Exploded Paradigm
* On the lobby ceiling. Comcast Technology Center. Southwest corner, 18th and Arch.
* 39.954900,-75.169775 [map] [nearby]
* On the JFK North tour
* See also:
+dandelion-burdock.com article about the technology used to make this piece
+jennyholzer.com
+wikipedia.org's Comcast Technology Center page

Bronze Hats
2019 (installed)
* small hats
* visible through the window
* Interior. North side of the Notary Hotel. West of the Southwest corner, 13th and Filbert.
* 39.953075,-75.161550 [map] [nearby]
* On the City Hall tour
* Exhibits: New, Unidentified

City of Brotherly Love
Neon of Dallas, 2019
* abstract neon, idea
* Title based on an online article quote from Premier Project Management. Attribution based on a Facebook post by the hotel. Mounted in what used to be a revolving door, the piece is equally visible from the sidewalk.
* Lobby. Northwest corner of the Notary Hotel. Southeast corner, Juniper and Filbert.
* 39.953140,-75.162120 [map] [nearby]
* On the City Hall tour
* Exhibits: Peace and Love
* See also:
+Neon of Dallas on facebook.com

Goniochome
Softlab, 2019
* big collection of abstract colored aluminum fins
* inscription:
Based on the concept of iridescence, this piece was uniquely designed for the main entrance of Fashion District. One of the most well-known examples of this magical light effect is Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo tiled roof. "Just as the scales of a fish absorb different wavelengths of light to produce a shimmering effect, our piece uses a series of aluminum fins at varying color and reflectivity to produce a large lenticular surface that changes depending on the angle of view.
* Lobby. Fashion District Philadelphia. Northwest corner, 9th and Market.
* 39.951600,-75.155300 [map] [nearby]
* On the Convention District tour
* See also:
+soft-lab.com
+fashiondistrictphiladelphia.com
+wikipedia.org's page for Fashion District Philadelphia

Opposing Forces
Ellen Tiberino, Alvin Tull, 2021
* sun and moon
* Thanks to the @SEPTAPHILLY twitter account for providing the initial information about this piece, including "Tull created a painted mural of natural landscapes, and Tiberino created mosaic parts overlaying it."
* Inside. Back of the ticket office. Suburban Station. Under JFK between 16th and 17th.
* 39.954225,-75.167400 [map] [nearby]
* On the JFK North tour
* Exhibits: Mosaic, Mass Transit
* See also:
+phillyvoice.com article about Ellen Tiberino
+muralarts.org's Alvin Tull page
+wikipedia.org's Suburban Station page

Tools of the Trade
Virginia Maksymowicz, 2022 (installed)
* tools, map
* inscription:
Tools of the trade is meant to make visible the often invisible role that railroad workers play in building and maintaining Amtrak's infrastructure.
Artist Virginia Maksymowicz commuted on the Amktrak Keystone Service for over 25 years, between her home in Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she taught as a professor of sculpture at Franklin and Marshall College. Maksymowicz credits her time on the train for producing some of her best thinking, including designing, researching, and planning many of her artworks.
At the time Tools of the Trade was created, the artist was working on a series of sculptures involving plaster casts of tools and bones, matephorically relating them to various structures. It occurred to her that Amtrak's national route system is another kind of structure, one that connects north and south, east and west, much like a bodily skeleton connects heat to toe and hand to hand.
Maksymowicz wanted to represent this structure through casts of the type of tools that Amtrak workers might use on the job. She collected vintage tools, railroad spikes and clips; she made silicon molds from them and cast them into lightweight plastic. Casts of spikes and bolts suggest mountains, and S-curved wrenches, calipers and railroad clips signify water.
* North Waiting Room. 30th Street Station. Northeast corner, 30th and Market.
* 39.956030,-75.181675 [map] [nearby]
* On the Avenue of Technology tour
* Exhibits: New
* See also:
+maks-arts.com
+wikipedia.org's 30th Street Station page

Love Awaits You
Terrance Woolford, 2023
* heart symbol, words, airplane, buildings
* inscription: (excerpt)
Many of the objects in this installation were found rummaging through discarded items from the airport's workspaces that include Building Maintenance, Electrical, Welding, and Sign shops.
Woolford created Love Awaits You to "enchant travelers landing at the airport and for loved ones Who wait for their arrival." He said, "the plane flying towards the big HRT encompasses that total experience."
* Interior. Terminal B Arrivals Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). 8500 Essington Ave..
* 39.877060,-75.244150 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+phl.org's page for this piece
+instagram.com/the.eazy.way
+phl.org

Honickman Center Mobile
ennnead (Architect), 2024
* big hanging collection of abstract shapes
* Interior. East side of Honickman Center. West side of 11th between Chestnut and Clover.
* 39.950385,-75.158800 [map] [nearby]
* On the Jefferson Center City Campus tour
* See also:
+ennead.com
+jeffersonhealth.org's Honickman Center page
+ennead.com's Honickman Center page