Nov 3, 2017

Activate Public Space with Monument Lab

by: Laura Kochman

Michelle Angela Ortiz installs Flores de Libertad at Philadelphia City Hall. Photo by Steve Weinik.

This is week eight of Monument Lab, and we’re sort of stunned over here. The impact of this massive project will continue to play out in future conversations and projects, but for now we’re gearing up to say goodbye to the monuments both physical and ephemeral. Tomorrow, don’t miss the Saturday Spotlight for Washington Square from 1–4 p.m., where we’ll have historical reenactors, poets, and artists activating the park space.

We’re also offering adjusted fall hours at our five neighborhood lab sites for the remainder of the project! At Vernon Park, Malcolm X Park, Marconi Plaza, Norris Square, and Penn Treaty Park, lab staff will now be taking monument proposals on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30–5:30 p.m. (and the last day to visit the labs at City Hall and Rittenhouse Square is this Sunday, November 5, so be sure to visit and add your voice to the conversation soon!)

And here’s where you can find Monument Lab all week long:

Flores de Libertad (Flowers of Freedom) Creative Action 

WHAT
A restaging of the October 25 creative action at City Hall led by artist Michelle Angela Ortiz, calling for freedom for families held in immigrant detention centers.

WHEN
Sunday, November 5
9–11:30 a.m.

WHERE
Annenberg Court
The Barnes Foundation
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Artist Jamel Shabazz photographs veterans and their families in Vernon Park on Memorial Day, 2017. Photo by Steve Weinik.

Monumental Exchange #4 

WHAT
A conversation between Monument Lab artists Mel Chin and Jamel Shabazz on the role of the artist in monument-making, moderated by WHYY reporter Annette John-Hall. Free and open to the public.

WHEN
Wednesday, November 8
6–8 p.m.

WHERE
WHYY
150 North 6th Street

The Battle is Joined, by Karyn Olivier (at right). Photo by Mike Reali.

Saturday Spotlight: Vernon Park 

WHAT
A spotlight event for the two projects in Vernon Park from artists Jamel Shabazz and Karyn Olivier, hosted in conjunction with the Aces Museum’s Veterans Day Celebration (which continues through 8 p.m.).

WHEN
Saturday, November 11
1–4 p.m.

WHERE
Vernon Park
5800 Germantown Avenue

Snag tickets now for our last Monument Lab keynote event, on Wednesday, November 15 with Michael Eric Dyson, Michael Kimmelman, and moderator Salamishah Tillet.

 

Lead Monument Lab partners include the City of Philadelphia; Philadelphia Parks & Recreation; Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy; Historic Philadelphia; Independence National Historic Park; Penn Institute for Urban Research; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; Price Lab for Digital Humanities; and the University of Pennsylvania.

Major support for Monument Lab projects staged in Philadelphia’s five squares has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

An expanded artist roster and projects at five neighborhood sites have been made possible by a significant grant from the William Penn Foundation.

Lead corporate sponsor is Bank of America.

Additional support has been provided by Susanna Lachs & Dean Adler, William & Debbie Becker, CLAWS Foundation, Comcast NBCUniversal, Davis Charitable Foundation, Hummingbird Foundation, J2 Design, National Endowment for the Arts, Nick & Dee Adams Charitable Fund, Parkway Corporation, PECO, Relief Communications LLC, Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square, Stacey Spector & Ira Brind, Tiffany Tavarez, Tuttleman Family Foundation, Joe & Renee Zuritsky, and 432 Kickstarter backers. Support for Monument Lab‘s final publication provided by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation.

Media partner: WHYY

Last updated: Nov 3, 2017

Art in Philadelphia , Public Art , Special Projects

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