The Association for Public Art and the Parkway Council are excited to announce that Franklin Thread, a new installation by architect and Temple University Associate Professor Jeff Richards, is coming to Maja Park on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The installation will be on view from July–October 2026 as a signature highlight of The Oval and Parkway to Park Festival, initiatives of the Parkway Council and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

The Association for Public Art and the Parkway Council are pleased to share the finalists for our 2026 Art on the Parkway open call. Proposals from Lewis Colburn; Kayla Fell, Jeff Lorenz, Sarah Leaskey, and Netanel Portier (Refugia Design); Jeff Richards; and Kristin Neville Taylor and Saumon Oboudiya have been selected as the leading contenders for a temporary public art installation in Philadelphia’s Maja Park as part of the Parkway to Park summer festivities.

Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Association for Public Art presents Let Freedom Ring by artist Paul Ramírez Jonas in Philadelphia at Cherry Street Pier. This monumental interactive sculpture invites viewers to consider what freedom means to them and what it might still mean for our country.

Join us for a new season of Public Art Decoded guided walking tours — free for 2026! Get an in‑depth look at sculptures and installations around Philadelphia. New tours this year include the Centennial District, Delaware River Waterfront, and Philadelphia Zoo.

Explore the Association for Public Art’s 2026 events, including the repatriation of a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Na̱ʼwiti House Post with an exhibition, panel discussion, and film screening; a series of public art walking tours; and the monumental artwork Let Freedom Ring by Paul Ramírez Jonas with an opening reception and related programs.

The Association for Public Art (aPA) in partnership with the U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, British Columbia, is returning a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw house post (c. 1850) to its ancestral land. The artwork will be on view April 24–May 31, 2026 at Atelier Gallery in Philadelphia with a dedicated exhibition, panel discussion, and film screening before making its journey home.

Apply by March 6, 2026! Art on the Parkway returns for a third year as a juried open call inviting Greater Philadelphia-area artists, designers, and other creatives to propose a temporary public art installation for Maja Park on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Learn more about this year’s theme, jurors, guidelines, and updates to the program.

Our 2025 Annual Report offers a comprehensive review of the Association for Public Art’s work over the past year, including a letter from our Executive Director, Charlotte Cohen.