The Association for Public Art and the Parkway Council are thrilled to unveil the finalists for our 2025 Art on the Parkway program. Proposals from Viola Bordon, Emilio Maldonado, Nicolo Gentile, and Julia Wilson have been selected as the leading contenders for a temporary public art installation in Philadelphia’s Maja Park as part of the annual summer Oval.

Register today! For 2025, the Association for Public Art is leading a series of public art walking tours at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, at the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial, in Rittenhouse Square, and in Old City. Each tour will feature a partner, a guest speaker, a presentation of archival visuals, or a fun activity.

In light of recent federal job cuts and the ongoing sale of federal buildings, thousands of artworks in the General Services Administration (GSA) Fine Arts Collection—including a number of works in Philadelphia—are now at risk of separation, sale, or neglect without a dedicated staff to manage and advocate for the collection.

Now in its second year, Art on the Parkway is a juried open call that invites artists, designers, and creatives to propose a temporary public art installation for Maja Park on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The selected proposal will be commissioned for summer 2025 as part of The Oval festivities. Apply by April 4, 2025.

Martin Puryear’s Pavilion in the Trees (1993) was envisioned as a permanent amenity—a treehouse-like retreat for generations to enjoy, nestled in the Lansdowne Glen of Philadelphia’s West Fairmount Park. But what does “permanent” mean for a wooden structure exposed to the elements? Is anything truly built to last forever?

Our 2024 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.

The Association for Public Art is proud to announce that it has received a generous grant from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage to bring Paul Ramirez Jonas’ Let Freedom Ring to Philadelphia in 2026 as part of the city-wide semiquincentennial celebration.

On Saturday, October 26th, join artist Rachel Hsu and Philadelphia Poet Laureate Trapeta B. Mayson at The Weight of Our Living on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for a free poetry workshop, featuring a reading and interactive activities based on the themes of this new installation.