Dave’s check-in with the Art Commission ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous, from the upcoming transformations to the Parkway branch of the Free Library, to the future of illuminated billboards from the Philly Parking Authority.
Read MoreThese two proposals show two radically different strategies to artistically approach the Ben Franklin Parkway. For Richard Serra, it’s the global reputation of the artist that makes his work a natural fit for this global stage. For the Holocaust Memorial, a park designed pluralistically, it’s the magnitude of the event it commemorates that elevates this design for this stage. And both proposals are now on track to land on the Parkway in the next year.
Read MoreThese meetings have become the bloody battleground between a City Council that supports billboards, and a public that passionately opposes them. The Art Commission has come to bear this undue responsibility, to rule on each proposal on a case-by-case basis. While Council sees East Market Street becoming the “Times Square of Philadelphia,” the path to get there has been a drip-drip of a leaky faucet, with each new proposal drawing intense criticism. But as long the law supports it, the Commission will continue to be the stage of this fight.
Read MoreSee, when the Art Commission finds fault with a proposal, the relationship between jury and design team becomes that of teacher to student. Desperate for the Commission’s approval (which is required to receive a building permit in Philadelphia), increasingly flustered groups of architects look for hyper-specific guidance from the Commissioners: what materials to pick instead of what they proposed; how many more trees to include on a plan–essentially, “if this is proposal is wrong, tell us how to make it right.”
Read MoreThe Art Commission is back! After Philadelphia’s yearly summer recess, the new-look Art Commission of the Kenney administration reconvened for their September meeting. This month’s proceedings brought the first real test of this Art Commission by way of a controversial proposal.
Read MoreThe March 2016 Art Commission meeting moved at a rapid pace, and still lasted over 4 hours. With an unprecedented number of projects reviewed, it seemed most appropriate to hand out awards—to the projects and to the participants.
Read MoreLOVE Park, officially known as John F. Kennedy Plaza (see footnote), will be undergoing its major renovation this year. The Art Commission has already approved this design, with the caveat that they include two water fountains.
Read MoreThe design of LOVE Park represents a trend of civic agencies shifting the responsibility of clean drinking water to private entities. Clean water should be a right, not a right if you have $1.25.
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