EXHIBITION
Homecoming: The Journey of a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Na̱ʼwiti House Pos
April 24 – May 31, 2026
Location: Atelier Gallery, Brewerytown, Philadelphia, PA
The Association for Public Art (aPA) will return a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Na̱ʼwiti House Post to its ancestral land in partnership with the U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, British Columbia, which will receive the work for its cultural heritage collection.
Before it makes its journey across the country, the house post will be on view at Atelier Gallery with an exhibition exploring its history and cultural significance, as well as a film screening and panel discussion.
The Na̱ʼwiti House Post (c. 1850) has been part of aPA’s collection since 1978, when it was acquired for the International Sculpture Garden at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia.
Photo: Na̱ʼwiti House Post (currently in aPA’s collection), Seattle, Washington, c. 1915–1917. Courtesy of the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution (NMAI.AC001_314_08_049).
EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION
Friday, April 24 at 6 PM
Location: Atelier Gallery, Brewerytown, Philadelphia, PA
Join us in celebrating the opening of the exibition Homecoming: The Journey of a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Na̱ʼwiti House Post, with remarks from the U’mista Cultural Centre and the Association for Public Art.
Light refreshments will be provided.
FILM SCREENING
Maker of Monsters and In the Land of the Head Hunters
Friday, May 1 at 6 PM
Location: Atelier Gallery, Brewerytown, Philadelphia, PA
Come for a public screening of the 2017 documentary Maker of Monsters: The Extraordinary Life of Beau Dick, a 92-minute film about the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw artist and activist Beau Dick, directed by LaTiesha Fazakas.
Held at the Atelier Gallery where the Association for Public Art’s exhibition Homecoming: Journey of a Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Na̱ʼwiti House Post will be on view until May 31, 2026.
Popcorn and light refreshments will be provided.
PUBLIC ART DECODED WALKING TOUR
Parkside Perspectives: Public Art in the Centennial District
Saturday, May 2 at 11 AM
Location: West Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA
Let’s explore the role of public art in the history and evolution of the Centennial District and Parkside neighborhood.
The tour explores the site’s establishment during the 1876 Centennial Exposition as an iconic center for Victorian architecture and monumental public artworks.
Throughout, the tour invites participants to learn how the Parkside community has worked to organize, preserve, recognize, and educate the public about its history and legacy over generations.
PANEL DISCUSSION
The Repatriation of Cultural Objects: A Panel Discussion
Saturday, May 9 at 1 PM
Location: Atelier Gallery, Brewerytown, Philadelphia, PA
Featuring Juanita Johnston (Executive Director, U’mista Cultural Centre), Kelly McHugh (Head of Conservation, National Museum of the American Indian), Brian Carpenter (Curator of Indigenous Materials, American Philosophical Society), and Lavina Li (Conservator, Canadian Museum of History).
PUBLIC ART DECODED WALKING TOUR
Public Art on the Parkway: American Perspectives
Saturday, May 23 at 11 AM
Location: Begin at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Join the Association for Public Art on a walking tour of public art created by American artists on the Parkway.
As part of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s joint exhibition A Nation of Artists, the Association for Public Art presents a Public Art Decoded walking tour highlighting the public art created by American artists along the stretch between the two institutions.
The group will be joined by Lea Stephenson, the Kenneth R. Woodcock Curator of Historical American Art at PAFA.
Meet at the Paint Torch sculpture in front of PAFA on Cherry and Broad Streets at 11am.
Photo: Symbiosis (2011) by Roxy Paine on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Photo by James Ewing / Association for Public Art.
OPENING
Let Freedom Ring by Paul Ramírez Jonas
Thursday, June 4, 2026 • 5–8:30 PM
Location: Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia, PA
Join us for an opening reception as we celebrate the unveiling of Let Freedom Ring, a monumental sculpture by artist Paul Ramírez Jonas at Cherry Street Pier.
Hosted by the Association for Public Art (aPA), this event will feature remarks from Charlotte Cohen, Executive Director of aPA, and the artist himself, as well as performances from Play On Philly.
Experience the power of art, music, and history as we gather to witness the ringing of freedom’s bell and embrace a future where liberty resonates for all.
Registration coming soon!
SOUND INSTALLATION
Toll the Bell at Let Freedom Ring
Friday, June 5, 2026 • 1 PM
Location: Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia, PA
Toll the Bell is a city-wide sound installation bringing greater awareness to the gun violence epidemic affecting our city and the nation.
In the wake of historic surges in gun-related crime, community-based violence prevention initiatives are making a notable impact. Since 2021, Philadelphia has seen a 45% reduction in gun violence victims, yet the crisis persists, and further action is needed.
On June 5, National Gun Violence Awareness Day, a prolonged period of bell ringing and other sound-making will take place at multiple locations across the city and beyond.
A collaboration with Penn’s Office of the Chaplain, Interfaith Philadelphia, and many faith-based organizations and partners, the sound installation will be paired with an interfaith vigil service and a community walk of reflection.
PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP
With Printmaking by the People – Mural Arts
Friday, June 5, 2026 • 5–8 PM
Location: Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia, PA
Head to this pop-up workshop to make a quick letterpress print inspired by Paul Ramírez Jonas’s Let Freedom Ring installation and the inscriptions on the interactive bell. Embellish your custom prints with drawings, writings, stamps, and stickers.
Registration coming soon!
PUBLIC ART DECODED WALKING TOUR
Art Along the Delaware: A Riverfront Walking Tour
Saturday, June 13, 2026 • 11 AM
Location: Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia, PA
From the Association for Public Art’s Let Freedom Ring installation at Cherry Street Pier to the annual DRWC Flag Exhibition at Spruce Street Harbor Park, learn about the Delaware River Waterfront as a multifaceted, ever-changing site for innovative public art.
Featuring Sarah Eberle, Creative Director of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.
OPENING CELEBRATION
Art on the Parkway Opening Celebration
Wednesday, June 25, 2026 • 6–8 PM
Location: TBD
Join us to celebrate the 2026 commissioned artwork for Art on the Parkway.
Registration coming soon!