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I've made this unsubstantiated claim before: Philadelphia has more public art than any city in the world. By that I'm referring to professionally commissioned works of art. Some might be quick to argue, but it's easier to understand how much public art we hold when you consider that the Mural Arts Program alone has commissioned more than 3000 public paintings.
When you go beyond the realm of the "professional" installations and into the world of rogue street artists, Philadelphia is in a league of its own.
Street art obviously isn't unique to Philadelphia. It's fostered to battle graffiti in San Diego. Banksy's left his stamp (literally) on cities around the globe. What's unique to Philadelphia is how the city turns a blind eye to most of our street art, and in return, our street art has transformed from angry messages hastily scrawled across public buildings to quality works or art that take time an effort.
Dozens of mysterious Toynbee Tiles can still be found throughout the city and only vanish when a street needs to be repaired. Chicago on the other hand has declared them "vandalism," and when they are found, they are removed. Although some might not consider the tiles "art," but rather a message from a local madman, they're representative of Philadelphia's love for all art.
The city's embrace of the best and most unique rogue works of art has created an off-the-grid art community that competes much like the world of traditional artists, constantly changing, evolving, and reinventing themselves to stay at the top of their game.
Kid Hazo has become one of Philadelphia's favorite street artists. His installations parody the city's beleaguered services and tired campaigns in a way that tows the fine line between kitsch and obnoxious political statements. Quite simply, he's managed to accomplish the rare feat of being fun and smart.
Recently, Kid Hazo took on Visit Philly's "With Love" campaign with posters stating things like "Dear Liberty Bell, Crack Kills! Just Sayin." But Visit Philly didn't respond with a curmudgeonly press release denouncing his art as vandalism, they Tweeted their very own Thank You poster.
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| With Love, Indeed. |
The government may be shut down, but Philadelphia sure isn't. Honestly, take a look at the list of attractions that are open and the ones that aren't. Which ones would you recommend?
Aside from Valley Forge, the list of shuttered attractions looks like an insider's guide on where not to go.
The National Constitution Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Barnes Foundation, all open. The Mutter Museum is so open it's not even on the list. The Franklin Institute, the zoo, the Betsy Ross House, Atwater Kent, open. Fairmount Park? Yep, it's a city park, with over a dozen house museums and the historic site of the Centennial Exposition, all open. The Schuylkill Banks are open. Penn Treaty Park is open. Franklin Square is open.
Sorry, the Declaration House and the Second Bank of the United States are closed. Did you know they were ever open on idle Wednesday? Do you even know where they are?
Okay, maybe, but I've never been inside.
While you might not be able to grab a $3 cup of coffee at our multimillion dollar brochure kiosk otherwise known as the Independence Visitor Center, were it not for a few barricades and security guards, you might mistake Philadelphia's participation in the shutdown for a Sunday afternoon.
In fact, it would benefit Philadelphia's tourism industry to start advertising itself as such, especially if the shutdown lasts much longer.
With major destinations like the Statue of Liberty and the White House closed for the duration of this Congressional hissy fit, Philadelphia's closed Liberty Bell Pavilion pales in comparison to the Barnes Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, each with collections that the National Gallery can't rival.
City Hall is open and its tower is just two meters shorter than the Washington Monument. Did you know that? Probably not because William Penn's phallus is surrounded by a sea of skyscrapers that puts the view from Good Old George's obelisk to shame.
If the shutdown continues as long as the nation's last, Philadelphia could find itself more than a brief diversion from DC or NYC, but an entire alternative. Visit Philly should seize this opportunity to plaster DC's Metro and the New York City subway with posters reading "Philadelphia: Still Open."
With more outdoor artwork than any city in the world (I dare you to argue), this is a prime opportunity to point visitors to a Philadelphia that is more than just dusty stacks of Colonial history, telling a shutdown America that Philadelphia's abundance of city parks and museums are open, maybe even encouraging tourists to stick around long enough to see private attractions like Penn's Anthropology Museum, Reading Terminal Market, and Boathouse Row, attractions a cranky federal government can't touch.
