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Philadelphia Public Art @ philart.net
@philartdotnet.bsky.social
250 followers 77 following 480 posts
Cataloging Philadelphia's Public Art on the web since 1998. Posting daily random page links with pictures and updates to the web site. Sharing other people's Philadelphia Public Art, Public Art, and Philadelphia related posts on a limited basis.
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Today's random page is the entry for "Tetrahedron Kite" (David Caccia, installed 1976) www.philart.net/art/Tetrahed... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art
abstract 3D steel kite, mounted high on a brick wall , composed of two pyramid-like forms, one leaning to the left at about a 45 degree angle with one side attached to the wall and the other jutting upwards from the bottom of the upper side of the first, breaking the plane of the roof line. Also visible in the picture: bricks, shadows, a cloudy sky.
December 24, 2025 at 1:08 PM
philartdotnet.bsky.social
Today's random page is Content: Bears www.philart.net/content/bear... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #bear #art #bears (pictured: "Family of Bears", Sherl Joseph Winter, 1966)
A grouping of 3 white bears on a white round base. The bear on the right and closest to the camera is sitting and looking to the left of the picture. Standing in front of the sitting bear is a small standing bear bear facing toward and to the right of the camera, its left cheek against the sitting bar's stomach. In the rear is a standing bear looking toward the left of the picture and away from the camera. Also visible in the picture are the red and grey bricks, dirt, and concrete dividing lines on the ground as well as the base of a tree and the light and shadows from the trees.
December 23, 2025 at 2:14 PM
philartdotnet.bsky.social
Today's random page is Artist: Alfred-Alphonse Bottiau www.philart.net/artist/Alfre... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured: "Wisdom" from "Wisdom and Commerce", 1932)
Big marble relief of a person in profile,, sitting in a legless chair, facing the right side of the picture, body slightly twisted toward the camera, the right arm resting on the back of the chair, the left arm bent at the elbow, holding a statue of a small standing person in the palm of their hand. Their right foot is on the ground, their left foot is resting on something so that the left leg is slightly higher at the knee than the right leg. There is cloth draped over the back of the chair and their right arm and over the chair under their right leg. There is an owl carved into the side of the back of the chair, and a small tree growing up behind their left foot.
December 22, 2025 at 1:31 PM
philartdotnet.bsky.social
Today's random page is the entry for the Northwestern National Bank Building (unidentified artist, 1929) www.philart.net/art/Northwes... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art
Relief set into the wall of the bank in a rectangular frame. Inside the rectangular frame at the top an eagle looking to its left. The eagle is sitting on an oval logo which has the name of the bank around the top of the border of the oval frame, Philadelphia at the bottom of the oval frame and inside the oval frame, a picture of a Greek Revival building, and MDCCCLXXXVI. On either side of the oval frame are what look like fruited plants. The bottom of the rectangular frame is a scroll which says AD MCMXXIX.
December 21, 2025 at 1:01 PM
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Added Theaster Gates' "Monument in Waiting" (2020, installed 2022) www.philart.net/art/Monument... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art
4 bases without sculpture sitting on a grey granite pad. Left to right a dark grey/black horizontal rectangular granite base carved with "UNTIL REAL HEREOES BLOOM. THIS DUSTY PLINTH WILL WAIT." (all caps), a round greyish white column lying on its side, a reddish brown granite vertical rectangular base, and a reddish brown granite cubical base. Also visible in the picture are grass, trees, buildings, and cars.
December 20, 2025 at 3:01 PM
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Today's random page is the entry for "Tierra" (Sidney Goodman, 1990 - 1995) www.philart.net/art/Tierra/1... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art
A standing nude woman wrapped in thick coils below the knees and above the chest that are holding babies to her . A detached head, presumably hers is on the ground behind her, staring up. Grass, rocks, trees, and the museum are also visible in the picture, which was taken from the right rear corner of the sculpture.
December 20, 2025 at 1:11 PM
philartdotnet.bsky.social
Today's random page is Artist: John Cheere www.philart.net/artist/John_... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured: "William Penn", 1774, installed 1804)
December 19, 2025 at 1:22 PM
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Today's random page is the entry for the Stikmen at 22nd and the Parkway (Stikman, unidentified year) www.philart.net/art/stikmen_... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art
Thin cutouts of a peace sign and an abstract human or robot attached to the asphalt on the street. The peace sign is white. The humanoid figure is yellow on the left and blue on the right with a pointy head, no neck, triangular eyes, a straight line for a mouth, and three stripes across the chest.
December 18, 2025 at 1:10 PM
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Today's random page is the entry for "Family of Turtles" (Eric Berg, 1989. Per bergbronze.com these are tortoises, not turtles, despite the title on the plaque) www.philart.net/art/Family_o... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art #tortoise
Three small tortoises of varying sizes inside the boundaries of a brick circle on the ground, all facing in toward the center. The rim of the circle is black. The middle is red. Also visible in the picture are the plaque, other red bricks, shadows, and near the top somebody's foot in a sandal, which is useful for scale.
December 17, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Philadelphia Public Art @ philart.net
khuruuk.bsky.social
That’s quite a striking statue:

www.philart.net/images/large...
A statue of Don Quixote wearing conquistador armor (no helm), bearing a shield and lance, on horseback. Lance is held high like a rallying cry. The horse’s head is uplifted as well. The statue is in a northeast Philly neighborhood.
December 15, 2025 at 1:20 PM
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Today's random page is Artist: Richard Cramer www.philart.net/artist/Richa... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured: Gates, 1979)
Black iron gate filling a red brick entrance. A red front door with a vertical side window on the left is a few feet behind the gate. The gate itself has 18 thin vertical bars, double width on either side of the swinging part. There are horizontal bars near the top and bottom and another two across the center maybe 6 inches apart. There are four identical curly abstract vertical designs two above the center and two below, equidistant from the horizontal bars with a vertical space between them and two vertical spaces to their left and right.
December 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM
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Today's random page is Person: Don Quixote www.philart.net/person/Don_Q... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured: detail from "Don Quijote de la Mancha", Joaquin Garcia Donaire, installed 1966)
Picture is taken from below. Head of the horse on the left, head, chest, and shoulders of the man in the middle, top edge of the shield on the right. Background is a clear sky.
December 15, 2025 at 1:13 PM
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Today's random page is Landmark: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) www.philart.net/landmark/Phi... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured: "Love Awaits You", Terrance Woolford, 2023)
Colorful large collage of found objects on a sky-blue wall. From left to right a heart symbol, "Love Awaits You" and an airplane. Along the bottom are building.
December 14, 2025 at 1:23 PM
philartdotnet.bsky.social
Today's random page is Resources www.philart.net/resources.html #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art. There's no pictures associated with this page, but if you want to understand how I've done my research over the last 25+ years, and/or find stuff for yourself, this is the page for you.
Philadelphia Public Art Resources @philart.net
Philadelphia Public Art Resources @ philart.net; listings of books and web sites with content related to Philadelphia Public Art, Philadelphia, and Public Art
www.philart.net
December 13, 2025 at 3:21 PM
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Today's random page is the entry for "Spiral Ears" (Ming Fay, 1995) www.philart.net/art/Spiral_E... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art
Large bronze colored tubular spiral or loose coil suspended from a ceiling. The picture is taken looking up so that the closest end which is slightly crimped up is about 1/3 of the width of the frame from the bottom right. It curves to the left and up loops down about half way to the tip from the highest point, up and away from the camera about half way back up to the original top and then one more visible loop to the top end. The background is the white wall and ceiling with very subtle striping and recessed lights.
December 12, 2025 at 4:45 PM
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Today's random page is Year: 1909 www.philart.net/year/1909.html #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured; "Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Monument", unidentified artist, 1909)
White stone small soldier on top of a very tall base (of which only the top is visible). The soldier is staring straight ahead, wearing a hat and a knee length coat, has a bushy mustache and sideburns, and is holding his rifle by the barrel in front of him, the stock resting on the ground.. The picture is taken looking up from the right front corner of the base. The background is mostly green leafy trees with a little bit of blue sky in the upper left.
December 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
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Today's random page is Content: Luggage and Trunks www.philart.net/content/lugg... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured: Aldine Hotel Entrance, Addison Hutton (Architect), 1895)
Relief of a hotel porter wearing a hat, carrying a small piece of luggage on his left shoulder. There are large relief flowers on both sides of him going up to about waist high and what I have listed as a shield behind him that could also be interpreted as a warped/foreshortened representation of the hotel. A white and dark glass building across the street is reflected in the glass behind the relief.
December 10, 2025 at 1:24 PM
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Today's random page is the entry for "Shakespeare Memorial"(Alexander Stirling Calder, 1926) www.philart.net/art/Shakespe... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art #shakespeare
16 foot high black granite base inscribed in gold lettering "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players". Two figures are seated on top of the base. The one on the right is seated in a chair or throne, his right hand around the hilt of a sword which is next to his head, looking down and to the right, away from the second figure, dressed as a jester and carrying a jester's scepter, who is lying back with his legs dangling over the front of the base, his left arm across the lap of the first figure.
December 9, 2025 at 1:20 PM
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Today's random page is the entry for "Government of the People" (Jacques Lipchitz, 1976) www.philart.net/art/Governme... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art
Big (thirty foot tall) dark bronze pile of people, kneeling and crushed on a granite and concrete base. Buildings and sky are also visible in the picture.
December 8, 2025 at 2:23 PM
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Today's random page is Landmark: Engine Company 53 www.philart.net/landmark/Eng... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #firefighter #art (pictured: "Fire Rescue Scene of Infant", Rebecca Rose, 1986)
Metal relief (probably bronze) of two firefighers. At the bottom is a set of 3 steps angled up from the bottom right at about a 30 degree angle to force perspective. The firefighter on the left is bending over, his right foot on the bottom step and his left foot on the top step pointing a hose into the implied building beyond the steps. His face is obscured by his helmet. The firefighter on the right is hunched slightly forward, carrying an infant in his arms, exiting the implied building, his left foot on the top step and his right foot on the middle step. His visor is up, his face is visible and his mouth is open.
December 7, 2025 at 1:19 PM
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Today's random page is Artist: William Zorach www.philart.net/artist/Willi... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured: "Puma", 1954, installed 1962)
Black/dark green stone puma approximately life size sitting on a mottled grey stone square base with slanted sides a couple of feet tall. The picture is taken facing the front right corner of the base. The puma is looking to its left, and its tail is wrapped around the front of its left foot. Also visible in the picture are part of the round slab the base is sitting on, grass, dead leaves, and azalea bushes with one small pink azalea visible behind the back of the puma's head.
December 6, 2025 at 4:16 PM
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Today's random page is Content: Lizards www.philart.net/content/liza... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #lizard #art (pictured: detail from "Estuary Gate", Christopher T. Ray, 1979)
Lower half half of an open iron gate with curved lines. In the bottom 2/3 of the picture to the left are a couple of lily pads. To the right of the pads between lines is a lizard, viewed from the top, with its tail toward the bottom of the gate and its head toward the top. Also in the picture are the lock and chain for the fence, sidewalk, and through the gate, dirt, and the wall the gate attached to.
December 5, 2025 at 5:12 PM
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Today's random page is the entry for the Art Museum North Pediment (Carl Paul Jennewein, 1932 (Museum website says 1933)) www.philart.net/art/Art_Muse... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art
Group of brightly colored people, some standing, some sitting or lying, winged person, headgear, staff, sun, sword, furniture, musical instrument, owl, snake, lion. Also visible are the pediment in which they are situated and on either side of that, two Art Museum griffins.
December 4, 2025 at 1:21 PM
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Today's random page is Artist: Mark Chatterley www.philart.net/artist/Mark_... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art (pictured: "Dogs", 2016 (best guess))
Two sitting mottled blue dogs. The one on the right is about 2 and a half times the height of the one on the left and is staring straight at the camera. The smaller dog is looking off to the left. Also visible in the picture are paving stones, ivy, and the wall of the building behind them which has a "green soul" sign in the window.
December 3, 2025 at 2:14 PM
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Today's random page is the entry for the 21st Ward War Memorial (Herman Miller (Architect), originally designed 1918) www.philart.net/art/21st_War... #Philly #PublicArt #VisitPhilly #art #WarMemorial
Stone structure. Arched entrance to a half dome and curve back wall. On either side of the arch are columns. On top of the columns and walls several horizontal levels of roof. Outside the columns are the edges of the walls. On the roof a gold-colored eagle sitting on a ball. Inside the dome are gold colored stars and a gold colored band around the bottom. On the curved walls below the dome three gold colored frames and inside the frames carved words which are not legible in the picture. Carved into the front from the roof line down: To the memory of the boys from the 21st Ward who lost their lives in the World War 1914-1918 Korean * World War II * Vietnam Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. Also visible in the picture are the fence, trees, and sky.
December 2, 2025 at 1:42 PM