9th Street Stock Exchange

9th Street Stock Exchange by artist Jon Rubin took place October 12 – December 7, 2016 along South 9th Street between Christian and Federal Streets in South Philadelphia, an area known as the Italian Market. It was a collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia and curator Theresa Rose.

The project turned the historic 9th Street Market into a participatory public art project. 9th Street Stock Exchange was a new system of economic and material exchange that connected neighboring businesses in the market often separated by cultural and socioeconomic differences. The participating stores displayed and sold selected products from each other’s businesses on a weekly rotation, facilitating new social connections by experimentally incorporating an aspect of each other’s identity into their own.

A circle of trust was constructed through the project as each participant business became familiar and invested in a small way in the commercial welfare of the others. Culturally specific products expected by a regular customer in one business became strangely incongruous and newly present through this weekly act of dislocation.

Participating businesses included:
(listed north to south)

–Betty Ann’s Italian Market Florist, 902 S 9th St
–Fante’s Kitchen Shop,1006 S 9th St
–Molly’s Books and Records, 1010 S 9th St
–J & J Discount, 1018 S 9th St
–Alejandra Boutique, 1102 S 9th St
–Casanova Music Center, 1137 S 9th St
–Botánica Sigua,1167 S 9th St
–Chocolate Arts and Crafts, 1168 S 9th St

Audiences were invited to gain a deeper understanding of the project and the participating businesses by signing up for tours (in English and Spanish) held on five Sundays during the duration of the project.

Location Note: This temporary project is no longer on view at these locations.