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Easily browse an expansive selection of public artworks

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Featured artwork

Ghost Structures (1976)

by VSBA (formerly Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown)

The National Park Service engaged the Philadelphia architectural firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates (formerly Venturi and Rauch) to develop a plan to convert Benjamin Franklin’s properties into a memorial.

Featured artwork

Benjamin Franklin (1938)

by James Earle Fraser (1876-1953)

Audio content that further expands our understanding of the works and the artists ​who​ created them

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Featured artwork

Bolt of Lightning. . . A Memorial to Benjamin Franklin (1984)

by Isamu Noguchi (1904 - 1988)

The 58-ton Bolt of Lightning refers to the famous experiment in which Franklin flew a kite in an electrical storm.

Browse Artworks by Theme

Browse a selection of artworks by themes that highlight the unique and fascinating public art connections to be found in Philadelphia

  • African American Themes

    The African American theme includes public artworks that were created by African American artists or illustrate the African American experience

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  • Benjamin Franklins

    The Benjamin Franklin theme gives a glimpse of the many ways Benjamin Franklin is represented throughout Philadelphia

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  • Equestrian Sculpture

    The Equestrian Sculpture theme highlights a selection of public artworks with men and women riding on horseback from Fairmount Park to Center City

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  • Functional Public Art

    The Functional Public Art theme showcases public artworks in Philadelphia that are utilitarian, site specific, and integral to community life

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  • Military Generals

    The Military Generals theme celebrates generals throughout America's history that have been memorialized in bronze and stone

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  • Native American Themes

    The Native American theme highlights outdoor sculpture that depicts Native American people as well as their history and culture

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  • Political Public Art

    The Political Public Art theme highlights outdoor sculptures relating to American politics and government, including memorialized political leaders

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  • Presidents and Leaders

    The Presidents and Leaders theme features portrayals of political, religious, and civic leaders such as Abraham Lincoln and William Penn.

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  • The American Revolution

    The American Revolution theme includes Philadelphia’s monuments and memorials to the American Revolutionary War

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  • The Animal Kingdom

    The Animal Kingdom theme includes sculptures of species ranging from slithering snakes to ferocious lions, as seen in various sizes and settings

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  • The Calder Family (of Artists)

    The Calder Family (of Artists) theme reflects Philadelphia's historic ties to three generations of artists in the Calder Family and their celebrated public artworks

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  • The Civil War

    The Civil War theme demonstrates the ways in which community groups in Philadelphia have come together to commission monuments and memorials in remembrance of the Civil War

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  • War Memorials

    The War Memorials theme includes commemorative public artworks that celebrate veterans who served in the Civil War, World War I, and World II

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  • Women and Public Art

    The Women and Public Art theme is a sampling of Philadelphia public artworks that were created by women artists or inspired by women

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