The Experience
Museum Without Walls: AUDIO is a dynamic, interactive audio tour designed to offer both locals and visitors an immersive experience with Philadelphia’s extensive collection of public art and outdoor sculpture along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Kelly Drive. This innovative program encourages passersby to pause, observe, listen, and perceive the city’s public art in a fresh and engaging manner. Explore the untold histories of 51 outdoor sculptures at 35 stops through professionally produced, three-minute interpretive audio segments featuring narratives spoken by over 100 individuals, all with personal connections to the art pieces.
Notable works featured in Museum Without Walls: AUDIO include the sculpture “Jesus Breaking Bread,” situated in front of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul at 18th and Race Streets. The audio program for this sculpture includes voices such as Martha Erlebacher, the wife of the late sculptor and an artist herself, providing insights into Walter Erlebacher’s personal challenge to humanize the figure. Monsignor John Miller, overseeing the commission for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, discusses the artist’s confrontation with historical interpretation. Sister Mary Scullion, founder of Project H.O.M.E., a program for the homeless in Philadelphia, shares thoughts on placing the figure outside the church.
In the audio program for the sculpture “Iroquois,” listeners will hear a first-person account from Mark di Suvero, the artist, discussing the abstract sculpture’s open shapes that invite public interaction and viewing from multiple angles. Di Suvero emphasizes the need to walk through the piece to truly experience it, and Lowell McKegney, di Suvero’s construction manager and longtime friend, likens the sculpture to music, encouraging listeners to appreciate it in a similar manner.
History
Philadelphia boasts the largest collection of outdoor sculptures among American cities, yet this extensive array often escapes notice. This program aims to unveil the unique narratives behind each of these works, which have morphed into visual white noise for many city residents and visitors.
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