About

The aPA was established in 1872 by citizens who believed that art could play a role in a growing city

Mission

The Association for Public Art (aPA) commissions, preserves, interprets and promotes public art in Philadelphia.

The Association for Public Art (aPA, formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association) was established in 1872 and is the nation’s first private, nonprofit civic organization dedicated to creating a “museum without walls” by integrating public art and urban design. The Association for Public Art carries out its multiple objectives through exemplary and innovative programs and advocacy efforts. By engaging diverse segments of the community, the aPA seeks to respond to the conditions of our time, creating a legacy and maintaining a heritage for future generations, while promoting Philadelphia as a premier city for public art.


 

Land Acknowledgement

The Association for Public Art (aPA) respectfully acknowledges the ancestral homeland of the Lenape peoples, where outdoor sculptures now sit on the unceded land of Lenapehoking. We recognize that this land was brutally taken by hostile force and fraudulent actions such as the Walking Purchase of 1737, resulting in the genocide and displacement of the Lenape Nations. The aPA honors and expresses our gratitude to present and future Indigenous peoples.

The stories told by sculptures in an inherited collection of public art are often incomplete, inaccurate, and exclusionary. We are committed to creating welcoming and equitable spaces by affirming Indigenous knowledge, culture, and history.  The aPA thanks The Lenape Center for their guidance in developing this land acknowledgement.