Arlene Love’s giant gilded nose and mouth with the rest of the face appearing to have broken away at the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
A large frog sits at rest in Rittenhouse Square, apparently in concentration.
Giant-sized versions of checker pieces, chess pieces, dominoes, bingo chips, and board game pieces are scattered all over the plaza
The title translates roughly to “My Lord of the Fancy Vest,” but local people often refer to the work as “The Mummer.”
Facing City Hall tower with its sculpture of William Penn, Clothespin has the jolting and humorous effect of a familiar object seen out of context.
Artist Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Burggen, collaborated on the Split Button, which has become a familiar part of the University of Pennsylvania campus environment.
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.
Oldenburg became well known locally when his iconic Clothespin was installed across from Philadelphia’s City Hall in 1976, becoming the talk of the town.
Public Art Decoded is a series of annual walking tours that take a in-depth look at the sculptures and installations that exist in popular Philadelphia locations. The tours explore how and why the artworks exist, the artists behind them, the untold stories, and both the historical and contemporary contextualization.