On view in Philadelphia June 4–September 27, 2026. Facilitators are on site Fridays–Sundays from 2 PM–8 PM to support visitor interaction with the sculpture.
Let Freedom Ring is a monumental sculpture by Paul Ramírez Jonas, presented in Philadelphia by the Association for Public Art and coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The artwork was originally commissioned by Monument Lab in 2023 for its Beyond Granite exhibition on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
This interactive bell tower at Cherry Street Pier plays the song “America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee)” in its entirety except for the final note. Passersby are invited to complete the unfinished song by playing the final note on a 600-pound look-alike Liberty Bell, prompting them to reflect on for what and for whom they ring this bell of freedom. The final bell is also inscribed with “I want to be free to _____” and “I want to be free from _____.” Visitors are invited to create a graphite rubbing of the bell and complete the phrases with their own responses.
Throughout its long life, the Liberty Bell has been adopted as a symbol for social justice movements, from abolition to women’s suffrage to the Civil Rights Movement. Let Freedom Ring is not a simple replica or representation of the bell, but a powerful reimagination and reactivation of our nation’s founding ideals. Ramírez Jonas offers a vision of a future where the bell of freedom rings for everyone, not just a select few – and his work of public art offers a physical platform on which to make this metaphor a reality.
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Paul Ramírez Jonas was born in Pomona, California in 1965 and raised in Honduras. Educated at Brown University (BA, 1987) and Rhode Island School of Design (MFA, 1989). Over the past 30 years Paul Ramírez Jonas has sought to challenge the definitions of art and the public and to engineer active audience participation and exchange. He has been made public in galleries, institutions and urban spaces around the world. He is the Art Department Chair at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell.
Video by Jon Kaufman / Media In Neighborhoods Group (MING)
Major support for Let Freedom Ring is provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. Additional support provided by the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.
