PUBLIC WORKS // Art & Public Space in Philadelphia

Writings by Dave Kyu

[public-works-phl]

Originally published on The Philadelphia Citizen August 9, 2019

It’s 1999, the NFL Draft. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue receives the pick. Eagles fans wait anxiously. “With the second pick, the Philadelphia Eagles select Donovan McNabb.” And just as planned, Eagles fans unleash thunderous boos.

Philly fans, the tired saying goes, are the worst in sports.

So it was no surprise that SportsRadio 94.1 WIP host Angelo Cataldi had organized the “Dirty 30,” a crew that travelled to the NFL Draft to boo any pick that wasn’t running back Ricky Williams. That booing is just one of many incidents that give us the “worst fans in sports” title.

We throw snowballs at Santa Claus. We have a jail in our stadium. We boo our own players.

And over Cataldi’s 30 year career, top-rated SportsRadio 94.1 WIP has become the home of our bawdiest fans. Loud-mouthed and opinionated, Cataldi has challenged former Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel to a fist-fight, asked female callers what they’re wearing, and called a new team staff person each week to be fired. As Cataldi mused on a recent show, “The nature of sports talk is to focus on the negative and pound on it.”

SportsRadio 94.1 WIP is the black heart of Philadelphia sports.

What most of his listeners don’t know is that Cataldi has a journalist’s pedigree: Armed with a masters in journalism from Columbia University, he was recruited from his hometown, Providence, to work at The Philadelphia Inquirer. Soon after he was offered a full-time radio co-hosting position at WIP. And on his first day, Cataldi, in his own words, “took myself very seriously.” He thought he nailed it. After the show, Cataldi was called into the program director’s office, who said “If you do that again, you won’t work here very long. Stop pontificating and start entertaining. This is not journalism.”

“That’s a lesson I never forgot,” remembers Cataldi. “The first goal is to entertain, not inform. To get people to listen, because it might give someone a pleasant trip into work. That lesson sunk in on day one.”

But these days, Cataldi eschews that advice. After Phillies Center Fielder Odubel Herrera’s arrest on May 27, Cataldi tweeted “As soon as the Phillies know for sure that the domestic-abuse charges are true, they MUST release Odubel Herrera.” One week later, Cataldi published an op-ed titled I won’t stop talking about Odubel Herrera, no matter how mad fans get. And they do get mad. Fans excoriate him on Twitter. Fans call into the show to tell him, in so many words, to shut up. “I think it’s a byproduct of the fact that we have a largely male audience—and most of the guys, a lot of the guys, would rather the issue would go away,” says Cataldi. “Tell me who will pitch tomorrow, and if we’ll win the game. Sports is an escape from reality, and the issue plunges one back into reality.”

But Cataldi won’t let up so easy.

“This issue is probably the first time in 30 years, something that is not going to serve the best interests of the audience. It’s not entertaining,” Cataldi says. “I imagine some people don’t want to hear it. But if you do this long enough, you have to take a stance for something.”

How does Cataldi, co-founder of the Wing Bowl and the “Miss WIP” beauty contest, become an uncompromising critic against domestic abusers? “Brett Myers,” says Cataldi. “That’s when it all started.”

On June 23, 2006, Phillies pitcher Brett Myers was arrested and charged with assault. Courtney Knight, a witness to the June 22 altercation, told The Boston Globe: “He was dragging her by the hair and slapping her across the face. She was yelling, ‘I’m not going to let you do this to me anymore.’” Myers was released on bail, and pitched the very next day. Cataldi remembers, “That’s when I started to care. Even when they won the championship [in 2008], I hated Brett Myers. I never embraced him.” (Also, he continued, “terrible country singer.”)

Due to a growing list of incidents, the MLB adopted a new domestic violence policy in 2015. One day after Herrera’s arrest, MLB placed him on administrative leave. At a July 3 court hearing, Herrera’s girlfriend dropped the charges (as often happens in these cases), but MLB still suspended Herrera for the remaining 85 regular-season games of the 2019 season. The Phillies organization has supported MLB’s decision, but has also not released Herrera. Phillies President Andy MacPhail explained,“Our agreement requires that a player comes back, subject to him being evaluated based on what happens on the baseball field.”

Cataldi isn’t impressed. “The team is taking cues from the league. The league is most concerned about protecting the brand. The league’s first priority is not to take a social stand. Most of it is damage control, and making a public display of something to get them out of the current crisis.” Cataldi continues, “These guys have an athletic superiority, and at the first sign of adversity, they strike a woman? Odubel Herrera should never play in this city again. Anyone that strikes a woman should never play in sports again.” While Herrera’s banners were removed from Citizens Bank Park, today he remains a Phillie.

So what can we, as fans, do? The wins and losses for team staff determine job security, earnings, and careers. But it’s sports fans that bear the emotional high of an exhilarating win, and the brutal despair of a close loss, all without any say in team operations. So fans make signs, buy billboards, trying to influence the decisions of their team. Over his 30 years as a sports reporter, Cataldi has a unique understanding of this relationship. He orchestrated the “Dirty 30.” And “Honk for Herschel,” to compel the Eagles to acquire running back Herschel Walker (they did). And voting Phillies Shortstop Pat Burrell into the 2008 MLB All-Star Game (he wasn’t).

“It’s funny to hear them listed like that,” Cataldi told me. “How frivolous the other things were, and how serious this is.” 

I asked Cataldi if the situation will change only if partners press charges. “They should do whatever they feel comfortable with,” he answered. “We should do what justice is. The police should still go after the person. They should find another way to get them. I’m not going to blame them. It’s not going to alter the way I look at the situation.”

Partners call the police when they feel their lives are in danger. But in the courts and back at home, the power reverts back to the players, whose millions of dollars of income creates a power imbalance in the relationship, and must weigh on legal proceedings. Fixing this issue is not the sole responsibility of the partners. It’s our responsibility as a culture that values men’s careers over women’s lives. Unless there is video proof or eyewitnesses, it’s easier to look away from the situation. Forgive, forget, redeem, repeat. It’s time to break that cycle. And it’s significant that Cataldi, the ringleader of the circus that is WIP Sports Radio, won’t shut up about holding abusers accountable. His recent turn alone won’t atone for the last 30 years of morning radio antics. But in the third act of Cataldi’s career, it’s the sign of an entertainer reviving his journalism credentials.

Returning to what fans can do to hold teams accountable for domestic violence, Cataldi offers one suggestion: “Picket these stadiums. Make it so uncomfortable for the MLB, that they won’t tolerate it.” It would be satisfying as a mob of fans to demand that the Phillies release Herrera immediately. But I’m not so sure it addresses a problem this complex.

Psychiatrist James Gilligan once wrote, “The purpose of violence is to diminish the intensity of shame and replace it as far as possible with its opposite, pride, thus preventing the individual from being overwhelmed by the feeling of shame.” To accept this explanation is to also acknowledge that a player losing his career over abuse charges will only exacerbate that shame, and intensify the circumstances that created the abuse. More alarmingly, a leader with the National Network To End Domestic Violence said, “If we would say that the first time your partner calls 911 your career is over, her risk of homicide shoots through the roof.” To accept these statements is to acknowledge that a player ban, while actionable and satisfying, doesn’t address the root cause.

So, how does MLB address a problem as complex as domestic violence? Perhaps the league could treat this issue with the same gravitas it treats the use of performance enhancing drugs. Players found guilty of domestic violence should immediately receive a one-year suspension. An outside counsel should immediately begin treatments. And yes, players should be offered a pathway back to playing. This is not because all players deserve a second chance—I, for one, do not ever want to see Odubel Herrera in a Phillies uniform again. No, this pathway is out of concern for the abused, who may avoid calling the police at all. It also mandates rehabilitation and education, to address the root causes of abuse, so that if and when we see a player back on the field (and that’s a big IF), fans know an independent therapist has guided their recovery.  

Maybe we join Cataldi’s call for a picket, or maybe we compel the league to accept these measures. The league and the team are smart enough to protect their brand by acting just enough to appease the public relations—it’s time for fans to send a clear message to ownership that we will not look away until domestic abuse is not tolerated. If nothing changes, then it’s time that fans begin boycotting games to let empty stadiums do the talking.

“After 26 years of Wing Bowl, the most politically incorrect event in sports history, [this issue has] become more important to me every day, even though I know some people don’t want to hear it,” says Cataldi. “It’s about damn time I stood up for something.”

Photo via Philadelphia City Council

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Citizen Sports: The Sixers’ Real Draft Needs

Originally published on The Philadelphia Citizen, June 26, 2019

The narrative around last week’s NBA draft has been all about who will perform on the court. But what if the biggest question facing the 76ers this off-season has little to do with its players? What if the most important question on the team’s fate is really about the team’s ownership, and whether it will grow from a smart leadership perspective as its players develop?

A year ago, the 2018 Sixers season ended with hope. Way ahead of schedule, a young, scrappy team reached the second round of the playoffs. Those Sixers weren’t supposed to achieve so much so fast. Ben Simmons was a rookie. Joel Embiid had his first full healthy season. Top pick Markelle Fultz was a healthy scratch, but hey, he’d have next off-season to rehab his shot. One season later, the team was bumped again in the second round of the playoffs, losing to eventual champion Toronto in seven games. Yet this year’s loss felt more disappointing.

Why? The awkward public performance of Sixers owner Josh Harris.

Before the first game of the playoffs, Harris was asked about the possibility of losing to the Boston Celtics again in the playoffs. He answered: “It would be problematic. Very problematic. We’d be unhappy. I’d be unhappy. The city would be unhappy…We have enough talent on our roster that if we play the way we’re capable of playing, we can beat any team in the East…Now the pressure is on to deliver.”

Great leaders inspire. In sports, leaders set winning expectations for the front office, the athletes, and the fans. But great leaders also put people in a position to succeed; in that sense, Harris’s pre-playoff comments were leadership malpractice.

Late in the season, in the form of Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, the Sixers had acquired league-leading talent, but, due to injuries, had only given them ten games to play together. They were 8-2 in those games, but still learning how to play together. Harris’s comments set an impossible standard just before the playoffs. His comments exploded the criticism of coach Brett Brown, and reframed any ending that wasn’t the NBA finals as automatically a failure.

Let’s check Harris’s leadership scorecard. Harris over-emphasized accountability, which set the wrong vision for the team, and put the Sixers and Brown—his own employee—in a position to fail. Moreover, he changed the public perception of the team. Philadelphia is an underdog city. Before the 2008 Phillies and 2018 Eagles championships, our sports teams were losers: The Flyers last won 44 years ago; the Sixers 36 years ago; the Eagles had never won a Super Bowl before last year; and the Phillies are still the losing-est team in the history of organized sports.

Our hearts have been broken so often, we’ve learned to wait to be surprised by our teams. We love the “World Fucking Champions” 2008 Phillies, not “The Four Horsemen” 2011 Phillies. We love the “Philly Special” 2018 Eagles, not the “Dream Team” 2011 Eagles.

We find our soul reflected in teams that are hungry, scrappy, and fighting against history for a chance at glory. Harris’s playoff comments instantly transformed the Sixers from a scrappy ahead-of-schedule squad into a Finals-or-Bust mega-team.

But Harris can still redeem himself. Great leaders admit fault, and great leaders use those mistakes to learn and teach lessons. The Raptors NBA Championship win can reframe the Sixers loss. The team that looked so much better than the Warriors in the Finals needed every ounce and a miracle four-bounce shot to beat the Sixers. Doesn’t that make the Sixers arguably the second best team in the NBA? Harris should use this opportunity to reframe this season not as “problematic” but as a building block.

Since buying the franchise in 2011, Harris has turned an irrelevant Sixers team to the always interesting, often-discussed, fan-beloved team it is today. But much like the team, expectations on Harris are now at an all-time high. His lack of leadership in a key moment is alarming, considering that he will play a key role in building the workplace that retains the top talent the Sixers have “processed” over the last half-decade.

After the season, many of the   players stepped up to vouch for embattled coach Brett Brown, as if in rebuttal to the speculation their team’s owner had fueled. “Amazing coach, better person, and obviously I got a lot of love for him,” reflected Embiid. Even Butler chimed in to say: “He always thinks about how to make everybody great, which is hard to do when you have the roster that we have had.” As we enter one of the most important off seasons in Sixers’ history, let’s hope that Harris takes a few notes out of Brown’s coaching playbook.

Photo by Brian Adams

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Two tips to not tokenize people of color

Originally posted on the Artblog, June 21, 2019

Photo by Kurt Bauschardt, CC BY-SA 2.0

Hi, my name is Dave, and I’m an immigrant. I was born in South Korea, but grew up in America. As a 1.5 generation immigrant, I live between cultures, and field many questions as a pseudo-ambassador to my two identities. Some inquiries are harmless, curious, respectful even – a genuine attempt to gain cultural knowledge. But others are offensive, and get added to the growing pile of “check this shit out” conversation fodder that diminishes my identity as a person of Asian descent.

So here are 2 tips (with bonuses!!), for any person inquiring about a culture that is not their own, on how to avoid the many, many pitfalls.

01- MY IDENTITY IS MINE, NOT YOURS TO USE

Well first of all, don’t use refugees as props.

Which is a good reminder – try reading your own invitation out loud. Try putting yourself in the perspective of the invited. Ask yourself, “Am I mad? Intrigued? What will I gain from participating? Will this be worth my time? Who benefits most from my participation? “

Most of all, ask yourself, “Will my identity be used to make someone else’s point?”

Bonus tip – tell me what your deadline is, but don’t tell me to “get back to you ASAP.” If I have to “get back to you ASAP,” then you should’ve invited me a week ago.

02- DON’T OTHER ME

Note the words “entertainment,” “visual,” and “energetic.” Note the lack of words “valuable,” “educational,” or “honoring” or “celebrating.”

I appreciate you are stepping outside of your comfort zone to make an effort to be inclusive. But I also resent having to be your tour guide to my culture. Do you expect me to make you a menu of all the possible cultural activities? And did we leave room for dessert? By putting me in this position, even in purpose of celebrating and honoring (which I’ve already pointed out that this email makes no mention of) you are reinforcing my otherness.

Everyone has a different journey with their identity, so I can only speak for myself when I say I had a tough time figuring it out. In my adolescence, I desperately wanted to fit in, but was never allowed to. I’m too Korean to be American, and too American to be Korean. I’ve finally kind of learned to celebrate being somewhere in the middle, but it took all of my 30+ years to get there. Asking me to make this menu for you puts me back into the role of “other.”

It may be petty, pure semantics, to ask you to include nice words. But it sure would be nice to have any indication that your interest came from a desire to learn, or celebrate, and not just to entertain a group of 50 bored lawyers. You won’t be able to avoid othering me, but you can make sure that you are celebrating, not underlining, that otherness.

Bonus tip – You know what/where/when your event is, if/if not it’s a paid opportunity, and who/who might not be the audience. By telling me none of these details, I have to do a lot of work to figure you out, then I have to turnaround and explain all of the above to anyone who I think may be remotely interested and available. If you’re asking me to help, don’t also make it as hard as possible for me to help.

~

Got a question for Dave Kyu (or Beth Heinly, our other art life advisor)? Email [email protected]. Or, visit our Google form online. See all our Ask Artblog advice columns here.

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Ask Artblog: Can you chase a trend with your art but stay true to yourself?

By Dave Kyu, January 11, 2019 originally published on the Artblog

Q. Political artwork is all the rage right now. Should I keep making the work I want to make, or should I tailor my work to follow the trend?

A quick refresher y’all. Back in 2016, our country celebrated our democratic ideals by selecting (actually, the Electoral College selecting) a total idiot to be president. Since then, decency has been set aflame, up has been down, and we’ve been slowly dying while struggling to follow our daily news cycle.

In a moment where the political stakes seem life or death, political content has developed a ravenous audience. Artists, meanwhile, are perpetually stuck between following their creative ideals, and building a critical audience for their work. This asker wonders, should the audience dictate one’s creative path?

Photo courtesy of pixabay.com [https://pixabay.com/en/trump-donald-trump-donald-president-1915253/]

I’ll start with a story. Way back in 2010, the popular annual Works on Paper exhibition at Arcadia University was mired in controversy. The jury process had come into question, artist applicants were incensed, and Little Berlin Gallery invited all rejected artists to show their rejected submissions (shout out to fellow advice columnist and curator, Beth Heinly!). The gallery discussion was kicked off by a dramatic confrontation of a distressed artist asking the Director of Exhibitions if 3 seconds, the supposed review time by the show’s famous guest curator, was enough to evaluate their lifetime of work. This person was emotional, distressed, and wrong. 3 seconds is plenty of time.

Photo courtesy of Little Berlin [https://www.flickr.com/photos/littleberlin/4360154693/in/album-72157623442845736/]

The reason a gallery or venue hires a famous guest curator, besides attracting more applicants, is because these curators presumably have shown a talent for evaluating artwork, quickly. Their expertise is in evaluating artists and their bodies of work, while also keeping an eye on trends in the art market, and seeing when, where, how, and if these two can intersect. To navigate a crowded market of artists, a good curator needs to see past the work, to uncover the artist’s motivations, and quickly, because by god are there a lot of artists. If you’ve seen enough bodies of work, or if you’ve just been a part of a few art juries, you can develop an instinct. An instinct, that say, can decipher whether an artist who was exploring the limits of white paint on white canvas, and now exploring the ills of white politicians, is inspired or disingenuous.

But let’s say you can get into some great show if you just chase the trend, so you’re gonna do it. I’ll share wisdom from an artist whose lecture I admired greatly for their honesty. This lecturer shared an early body of work, based around the act of knitting – a surprise to see, because it was so different from the artists’ current work. But the artist was making a point for us art students. The knit works were one of a few bodies of work this artist was developing, but due to a mix of positive critical reception and a gallery that demanded what was working, the artist got “stuck” making that body of work for a decade. The assumption is that artists drive the artwork, but often we don’t discuss how a market can dictate the work. One exception is exhibitions that raise money for a cause, where context can protect an artist from expectation. Making one bat-themed work for a bat conservation fundraiser won’t lock you into a bat-based career. But it’s something you should consider. If you chase a trend, are you comfortable building a house there?

My anecdotes suggest no, do not alter your creative practice just to hop on this political moment. The promise of an audience is appealing, but creative professionals in a creative field are keen on separating the authentic from the fake. Sometimes we miss, and artists can certainly make a splash with trendy new works, but it’s also possible to become the artist that does “that thing only.”

All that said, artists, especially, should not automatically dismiss the latest trends. While I do believe this dire political moment will pass, it is also inspiring so many new candidates to run for political office. These individual candidates are responding to the political trend by committing to participate in and help fix our broken political system. I for one, commend their crusade.

Chasing a trend just for audience is foolish. But trends also introduce new ideas into the mainstream conversation. Artists have always been inventors, explorers, adventurers courting innovative ideas that drive our society forward. It is the artist’s job to stay open to the world. Thus, it is up to you to gauge the depth of your enthusiasm, and determine if your interest is fleeting or authentic. If the latter, more power to you, and please invite me to your 2020 election exhibition. As the Chinese proverb goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

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Ask Artblog: Why are galleries punishing me for being a student?

By Dave Kyu, September 13, 2018 originally published on the Artblog

Ahhh, it’s that time of year again. The weather is cooling down, notebooks are 50% off, and Uhaul has run out of moving trucks… it’s back to school season! And do not fear, as I’m back to offer you future leaders of the world some more phenomenal advice.

Screenshot from Art School Confidential, 2006.

I get it, you’re an ambitious student with talent, with the glow of youth, and making work better than anything you’ve come across in the galleries out there – why are you being penalized for being in school? It’s not you, it’s the systems that envelop you.

Galleries and Art School – Different systems, different deadlines

Galleries, be they commercial, non-profit, university, or artist-run, rely on reputation. The gallery works to enhance reputations by showing exciting new artists, from their insightful curators, that will bring in monied collectors, or engaged audiences. Galleries also operate on a regular schedule, opening new shows on a regular schedule to program their audiences to come back. Those regular schedules create uncompromising deadlines.  

The first challenge is that school deadlines beat other deadlines. School moves faster than… I don’t want to say “real” life, because it implies that school is not real. But it isn’t real. A working world is not broken up into class periods, sessions, or semesters. It’s quarters, fiscal years, or five year plans—things move slowly. Students face concrete deadlines like: read this book by Thursday, draw 100 things by Monday. Gallery deadlines are more abstract: complete a body of work by September, pick a showcard image by November. The apparatus of school creates an infrastructure of deadlines that most galleries just don’t want to compete with. These school assignments are good practice for the real world, but concrete deadlines will always beat out abstract ones—that’s just human nature.

Whose intention sparked the work?  It matters

The second challenge of student work is deciphering intent. Sure, there will always be a student that knocks an assignment out of the park, and makes work that could be shown in a gallery. But for curators, it is impossible to separate artwork from the intention of an assignment, and that’s a problem. A professor’s intent for an assignment is to drive the student’s work forward, while curators are looking for self-initiated body of work.

Assignments are a way for professors to measure progress in a classroom by challenging students. In school, assignments offer interesting limitations that inspire creative problem solving and accelerate learning. Make a boat that floats only using cardboard? No problem. Out of school, these arbitrary limitations confound interpretations of the work, especially troubling in a field where material choice and construction carries so much meaning. So, the cardboard of the boat must symbolize the incompatibility of the vessel and its surroundings, signaling the artist’s existential despair, yes? For curators analyzing work, unpacking an artist’s intent from a classroom’s intent becomes a pandora’s box. And mis-diagnosing intent can damage the reputations that underlie every aspect of the galleries’ work.

Screenshot from KJRH -TV | Tulsa | Channel 2, 2014 May 2.

Opportunities will be there in the future

For a student, school wins out. While school is a means to a career, it is also its own bubble-a protective shell that affords its students the opportunity to try new ways of behaving in the world, failing spectacularly, learning a little bit, and moving on. Keeping professional deadlines will be a lesson you will learn, but class deadlines are pretty good practice. The thing about opportunities is that the art world is always looking for new talent, and there will be new opportunities when you’re ready for them. If you must build the resume, look for student-only opportunities. But for now, I urge you to cherish your new semester, embrace your role as a student, and live by Sister Corita Kent’s rules for Students, Teachers, and Life.

“Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules,” lettered by David Mekelburg.

Got a question for Dave (or Beth, our other art life advisor)? Email [email protected]. Or, visit our Google form online.

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5 Lessons I Learned from Neighborhood Time Exchange

May 29, 2018 Originally published on Mural Arts Philadelphia Blog

The first iteration of Neighborhood Time Exchange operated out of the 4017 Lancaster Ave storefront from January 2015 through September 2015. During that period, Time Exchange welcomed 15 artists for one- to three-month residencies, funding more than 20 community projects and countless studio hours.

As innovative and exciting as this pilot program was, we learned a great number of lessons along the way. Now that we’re launching the second iteration of Neighborhood Time Exchange, as project manager, here are five of our most major lessons learned.

1. Three months is too short for a community residency.

Working ethically in a community context begins with establishing relationships with neighbors. In the typical flow of a three-month residency, an artist would explore the city and their studio in month one, begin to consider community projects in month two, and race to honor their commitments in month three—which is to say, it was a consistent challenge to create art while also building authentic relationships. This isn’t new information, but the three-month residencies were a financial reality of the program. Time Exchange is happy to report that in 2018 and 2019, the residencies have been extended to five months each.

2. Contemporary artists aren’t used to working with clients.

Time Exchange sourced project ideas from community requests. Artists were welcome to select specific ideas, and were asked to follow up with community members to help execute their projects. Artists are not just wild “imagineers,” but excellent project managers who can stretch small budgets, offer technical expertise, and creatively re-use materials. But many artists faced challenges when led by an outside muse. Contemporary art-making is about having a vision. Which meant…

3. …community experience is important.

Artists who had previous experience working within communities did better in the program. We had envisioned Time Exchange as a format that could support all types of practices, from the experienced social practitioner to the private studio artist. But artists who had pre-existing skills communicating across disciplines, managing expectations, and negotiating creative roles had the most success within this structure.

4. National and international artists give perspective…

The breadth of the program allowed the organizers of Neighborhood Time Exchange to consider artists from across the country and the world, to pair alongside Philadelphia-based artists who would bring their local expertise. The idea was that outside artists would bring more diverse experiences and skill sets, valuable outside perspectives, and greater recognition for the program. And they did do all of these things!

5. …but local artists have irreplaceable knowledge.

There’s no shortage of creative talent, enthusiasm, and passion right here in West Philadelphia. And the place-based knowledge of our local artists proved invaluable to building impact and meaning in the work. In the second iteration of Time Exchange, we are shifting the focus to only seek artists from West Philadelphia zip codes.

Our first artist-in-residence of 2018 is Ellen Tiberino! She is currently in residence at 4017 Lancaster Avenue, offering a weekly mosaic class at the United Bank at 3750 Lancaster Avenue. In June and July, stop by for Second Friday events where Ellen will first share an exhibition of her own mosaic work, and then unveil the finished community mosaic.

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Ask Artblog: Is grad school really all it’s cracked up to be?

By Dave Kyu, May 8, 2018 originally published on the Artblog

Q: Dear Artblog, Do you think that grad school is necessary for art school graduates? I am having a hard time finding a job (within my field) and I am wondering if grad school would help me secure a job, or would I be overqualified at that point? Thank you!

First a bit about why I’m excited to help launch this column. I remember preparing for my first real-world exhibition, just before I graduated with my BFA from the Tyler School of Art. I asked my professor how to price artwork, but later learned that the professor found that question to be absurd, even arrogant. Like, “can you believe this student thinks he’s going to sell work?” I didn’t, but I was confused why the question was so offensive. I just dropped a hunk of cash on my education, why DIDN’T I know the basics? The topic of art careers is philistine in art schools, which makes those questions even more terrifying as students face graduation: their release into the wilderness of adulthood. Hopefully I can impart some of the wisdom I’ve gained from my decade building an arts career.

Now for the advice! By far, the grad school question is the one we received most. The short answer is, it depends. But we’re not here for the short answer, are we?

Personally, I didn’t go to grad school. After my BFA in Sculpture, I needed to figure out if making art was important to me—if I would still make it if I my grade didn’t depend on it. I’m happy to say I still make work (sometimes), and I’ve built an interesting and sustaining art career path. But juggling an art practice with an administrative career and a young family, I do feel that I haven’t had time to push my practice to a higher level, so the thought of paying someone to focus on just the art practice part does sound kind of enticing.

Before I consider the question, I should emphasize that grad school is not an end, but a means to some other goal. The questions you are asking yourself right now about how to keep making and showing art, how to get a job that fulfills you creatively AND pays the bills, or how the heck you make your way in the world as an adult, will all still be there, waiting for you, after grad school. Your education, your career, your life are all deeply personal decisions, and not one I can make for you. The debt that you accumulate from more school will affect every aspect of your future, so the cost of your education, and how many scholarships you receive to offset tuition, should factor into the calculus of this decision. As we consider this question, let’s try to build a framework to weigh the options.

There are two reasons to go to grad school. The first is for your career. There is a fear that an MFA can make you overqualified for jobs, but in an era where the competition on paper between your resume and anyone else’s is fierce, any little bit helps. If an employer is looking at your MFA and thinking “overqualified,” they’re either trying to underpay you, or the job is menial, and in either case it’s a bad fit.

The typical path for an MFA-haver is teaching at a college level. Yes, people without MFA degrees can teach, but only after becoming rock-star artists, and the explosion of MFA degrees makes teaching without it even less likely in the future. I was once offered a non-teaching-University position, but the salary wasn’t quite where I needed it to be. I tried negotiating by offering to teach a class also, but found not having an MFA closed that door. No MFA, no class, no raise, no job. But I got it. Why would a university offer me a teaching gig when I haven’t demonstrated that I value the institution of education? Being “outside” has led me to romanticize the opportunity of having students, peers, and colleagues that live in the world of discourse and ideas. But also, the more I see friends organizing against the adjunct system, the less I care to break into teaching.

The second, and maybe less straightforward, reason to go to grad school is for your artwork. Being in grad school alone doesn’t guarantee that your work will be better, but carving out another few years of time dedicated to your practice will move you forward. Time in an MFA program is not the same as time in undergrad. The student-to-teacher ratio is leaner, and so your peers will spend more time discussing and pushing your work forward.

So how do you get a job without a MFA? You have to network. Sorry, I threw up in my mouth a bit. Network. It’s such a dirty word for artists. And if I think about it in the context of LinkedIn accounts, I hate it too. But get that out of your mind. Think of networking as finding the tribe that shares your interests. My first job was moving stuff around in a gallery, and the more I did that, the less I was interested in the formal art world. I gravitated towards public and socially-engaged art, and started finding others who also thought “relational aesthetics” was so three movements ago. I wrote for FunnelPages, a weekly arts calendar and blog, I volunteered for Philly Stake, a micro-granting dinner for creative projects, I kept making artwork, I co-founded an artist-run space, Practice Gallery. These people have been my peers, have encouraged me to make work, and directly and indirectly, have gotten me jobs. And I’ll let you in on a secret: in almost every job I’ve had, when we have a job posting, I’m usually asked by people at the company to pay special attention to the applications of people we know. If you can, go to grad school in a city you want to live in, because those networks will help the transition from school to career. Grad school is a great way to build your network. Finding and being part of a community may be even better.

So is grad school necessary? No, absolutely not. But unnecessary? No, not that either. You’ll have to figure out what you want out of life first.

If you’d like to hear from one of Artblog’s advice columnists submit your questions for future columnists here.  Or email our advisors at [email protected]. All questions confidential.

[public-works-phl]

Burning public art question, Where could Rizzo go?

By Dave Kyu, February 19, 2018  originally published on the Artblog

Philadelphians looking to pay a water bill, receive a building permit, or register a new business, can achieve all this and more with a visit to the Municipal Services Building, at 15th & JFK Blvd. Out front, visitors are greeted by a nine foot bronze statue of a man stepping down from this civic tower with his arm extended, a gesture of grace towards you dear visitor, and to the City at large. Problem is, that the figure who welcomes you is Frank Rizzo, a man whose tenures as the Philadelphia’s Police Commissioner (1968-1971) and Mayor (1972-1980), have left a complex legacy.

Rizzo Statue on the Municipal Services Building Plaza steps, John F. Kennedy Boulevard between 15th and Broad Streets.

In September, 2017, in response to a growing public outrage, spurred by a national movement questioning monuments and the histories they symbolize, Mayor Kenney’s office solicited ideas from the public for what to do with the Rizzo sculpture. In November, 2017, after receiving hundreds of submissions, Mayor Kenney announced that the statue will be moved to a different location. No details were given about where or when. So while Rizzo and his messy legacy will no longer be the face of the Municipal Services Building, we must note that Rizzo will still be reinstalled somewhere else in the City. While we’re waiting for Rizzo’s big move, let’s look at some of the sites suggested by the public, and how the legacy of Rizzo may or may not fit into his new home.

Marconi Plaza, Broad & Oregon

Rendering of Rizzo Statue at Marconi Plaza in South Philadelphia

The Submission Please remove this statue from city land/property and move it to where the Rizzo superfans want it: in their own backyard (this seems to be primarily in South Philly). I suggest Marconi Plaza, somewhere on Passyunk Ave., or atop Geno’s.

The Context Let’s focus on this commenter’s first suggestion. Marconi Plaza is a public park in South Philadelphia that straddles Broad Street, south of Oregon Avenue. Officially named in 1937, the plaza honors Nobel Prize Laureate & Italian Inventor Guglielmo Marconi, responsible for the wireless telephone, telegraph, and unidirectional radio. There are two existing monuments in the Plaza: Guglielmo Marconi himself, and the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

Frank Rizzo was born in 1921 in South Philadelphia to Italian immigrants. Although South Philly has become (and arguably always has been) much more diverse since then, now home to Mexican immigrants & South Asian refugees, the Italian American presence and cultural impact is still recognizably South Philly.

The Verdict Rizzo’s standing as a prominent Italian American would fit a neighborhood that still celebrates its Italian American heritage. His tarnished legacy may fit well alongside Columbus’ decaying legacy. But at 9’ tall, Rizzo’s sculpture is monumental in scale. It’s hard to imagine not having to re-christen the park as “Rizzo park.” Expanding Rizzo’s naming footprint would increase, not placate, public outrage.

But for a City park, Marconi is pretty big, just under 1 million square feet. As long as Rizzo plays second fiddle, maybe an obscure in-the-park location, Marconi Plaza could work. There must be better options.

Atop Geno’s steaks, 9th & Passyunk

Rendering of Rizzo Statue on top of Geno’s Steaks

The Context When it’s not being used as a stage set in a Meek Mill video, Geno’s is known for its overpriced cheesesteaks and its explosion of neon signage. In 2006, the shop caused an outrage when it placed a window sign that read “This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH,” and received attention from the Commission on Human Relations for possible violation of Philadelphia’s ordinance on discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Founder Joey Vento is a third generation Italian American.

The Verdict The thing about the Rizzo statue is that the stoic expression, outstretched arm, and classic contrapposto pose in bronze engenders a quiet dignity. Perhaps it is this dignified remembrance that enrage those that deem Rizzo a racist.

But Geno’s, and it’s garish, circus-like atmosphere, would evoke the Rizzo that once said, “When I’m finished with [the anti-police demonstrators], I’ll make Attila the Hun look like a fag.” Geno’s Steaks also sits in the Italian Market (near the long-standing, and also controversial mural of Rizzo by artist Diane Keller), and is a tourist attraction, not an important civic building. I cringe when I think of a tourist’s itinerary as the Rocky statue & Rizzo @ Geno’s, but perhaps the circus is where Rizzo belongs. Surprisingly, a good option.

Constitution Center

Rendering of Rizzo Statue at the National Constitution Center

The Submission Art can be a powerful form for change. I think the Rizzo statue should be relocated to the Constitution Center and should be a part of a larger artistic/historical display on the history of police relations and brutality in Philadelphia. I think this would be an opportunity as a city to reflect on our past in order to be understand our current political climate. … For me, I grew up with stories about how terribly violent, almost evil Rizzo was. I imagine there are many Philadelphians with just as intense stories – some positive, some negative- but nonetheless intense stories. As the grand-niece of a police officer, I have had many opposing stories presented to be about Rizzo. Part of this project should gather those testimonies.

The Context Although this suggestion is for the Constitution Center, a mayor of Philadelphia may not have any direct thematic ties to the national constitution. But, a museum location is an interesting idea, because it is so radically different than a public space. While public space can be loaded with implicit historical meaning, museums have the ability to spell out that meaning, and control the presentation and context of the display. A museum can safely contextualize Rizzo into a learning experience.

The Verdict While the Constitution Center may not be the best choice, a museum space offers the duality of continued display, acknowledgement of a troubled legacy, and a learning opportunity. A top option, if any museum will have it.

Put my thing down, flip it & reverse it

Rendering of Rizzo Statue in the same spot, flipped upside-down and on his head

My Suggestion Let’s de-install the statue, flip it upside down, and re-install Rizzo in the same spot, on his head.

The Context When the City solicited ideas for the Rizzo statue, they asked submitters to consider the cost and reasonableness of ideas, which eliminated my idea.

But hear me out. This idea extends an olive branch to all parties. For those who love Rizzo and think removal is an erasure of history, Rizzo will remain visible in the same spot. For those who believe Rizzo oppressed minority communities, his upside-down installation recalls the systematic disenfranchisement practiced by the most powerful institutions of City government. And for those, like me, who think one of the dangers of the current Presidential Administration is promoting a culture of “winning” above all others, at any possible cost, this is a celebration of compromise.

The Verdict Everyone will hate this idea. See you at the Geno’s Rizzo dedication.

Read the top 100 hundred submission here.

[public-works-phl]

Text-heavy Holocaust Memorial, Don Quixote plaza re-do and Discovery Center’s new design

Originally published on theartblog.org

[Dave reports from the latest meeting of the City's Art Commission. He offers a thoughtful critique of the proposed design for the new Holocaust memorial, as well as updates on plans for the Discovery Center in Strawberry Hill and the Don Quixote statue at American and 2nd Sts.]

Presenters to the Art Commission typically show up twice. Teams must receive Conceptual Approval first, and then come back to address specific questions in order to receive the Final Approval that clears the way to a building permit. This April, Commissioners heard updates on SEPTA’s 30th Street Station head houses, the Discovery Center at Strawberry Mansion, the Holocaust Memorial, and the American Street Plaza. In this article, I will focus primarily on the updates for the Holocaust Memorial, proposed for 17th and Arch Streets.

Rendering of the Philadelphia Holocaust Memorial Park

Plans for Philly’s new holocaust memorial

The idea behind the memorial, that the Holocaust needs to be remembered to prevent future tragedies of this magnitude from happening again, is more relevant than ever. We are living in an era of rising antisemitism, with a president endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan, and who has been slow to condemn recent antisemitic acts. While that president’s Press Secretary uses Hitler as a benchmark of evil behavior in his metaphors, he misremembers so many of the details of the Holocaust that it’s unclear whether he understands the horror of these events. Our moment makes it clear why we need a Philadelphia Holocaust Memorial.

I wrote about the initial proposal in the December Art Commission Check-In. Back then, the Art Commission asked the team—a partnership of The Remembrance Foundation, design firm WRT, Post Brothers, Fairmount Ventures, and the Center City District—to return to present the then-unfinished portion of the project, namely, the text on the six memorial pillars, which were blank at the time.

Juxtaposing and justifying

Eszter Kutas, project manager at Fairmount Ventures, eagerly laid out the concept. These six pillars represent the six million people that perished in the concentration camps during the Holocaust. The pillars are meant to be read in pairs, which juxtaposes a fact or idea from the Holocaust with its opposite idea. So, for example, a paragraph about the “master race” idea is paired with a paragraph explaining “equality.” “Totalitarianism” is paired with “Democracy; ”death camps” with “protecting life & liberty,” and so forth. These text pairings are linked visually by a text alignment called “justifying,” in which the text either hugs the left or right margin of a page, or, here, a pillar. Here, the texts are justified left versus right so that are interpreted as a pair of opposing concepts. For example, text explaining “Human Equality” is justified right (hugging the right side of the pillar), while “The Master Race” is justified left. “We didn’t want to lose the 6 pillars as a symbolic approach,” said Kutas. But, by prioritizing the symbolism, the team designed a forgettable exhibit.

Rendering of the Philadelphia Holocaust Memorial Park, provided by Fairmount Ventures.

In granting Conceptual Approval last December, Chair Alan Greenberger stated that the Commission did not want to “wordsmith the panels,” but rather wanted an opportunity to see the design before approving, as well as review the intent. Thus, with few comments and general praise, the Commission granted the design team Final Approval, clearing the way for this memorial park to be built, as proposed.

Reading in public

The problem is that the pillars presented today aren’t designed for an outdoor space. While the six pairs of ideas is a clever conceit, the sheer amount of text presented would be more appropriate for an academic paper, or a museum exhibition. All the text is deeply relevant to the Holocaust survivors that will gather here to reflect and share their experience with the greater public. But this park will also attract nearby office workers sitting down for lunch, or a group of tourists, or a family with young children. Public art has the unique challenge of trying to be legible to every single one of these audiences. And unlike in a museum, or in an academic setting, there’s no expectation that the audience will engage. The audience is voluntary, and the work must create the interaction in order to share its message. These six double-sided pillars of text present so much information, that I can’t imagine a casual visitor reading more than one panel, and even if so, retaining much more information than they already knew.

Recent events have sharply re-iterated the need for this memorial. And any improvement to the current, largely unused lot at 16th and Arch is a welcome change. The new memorial park will also include an eternal flame playing on a video monitor, a remembrance wall, and a tree planted by children at the Theresienstadt concentration camp. But this month’s presentation of six text-heavy pillars fails to understand the context of the site. A public park is a democratic public space, open to all types of public use. That openness has the potential to bring a message like Holocaust remembrance to an entirely new type of audience. But by relying so much on text to tell the story, the designers of these pillars fail to capitalize on the surrounding context of the public park. It’s a shame to see these pillars fall short of the ideals of the memorial.

Other notes

Rendering of the Discovery Center entrance, provided by WRT.

The team from the Discovery Center at Strawberry Mansion returned to present a new design, their previous plans having been over budget. A partnership between Audubon Pennsylvania, Outward Bound, and Philadelphia Department of Parks & Recreation, the Discovery Center will provide public access and an interpretive center and bird viewing station to the little known “East Reservoir” in Fairmount Park near the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. Next month, the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy will return with their presentation of the Percent for Art artwork.

Plans for Don Quixote Plaza, provided by Gilmore and Associates.

The American Street Plaza received Final Approval for a redesign of their lot at 2nd and American Streets. More exciting, the design team has begun referring to the site as “Don Quixote Plaza,” referring to the public artwork that anchors, and now represents, this park. Long live Don Quixote Plaza!

[public-works-phl]

March Art Commission Check-in

Originally published on theartblog.org

[This month's Art Commission check-in focuses on Laynie Browne and Brent Wahl's proposed work of public art for the new Rail Park. Dave asks, does public art have to serve as a landmark, or can it work differently? – Artblog Editor]

Two camps emerged in the March meeting as the Art Commission debated the proposed artwork for the Rail Park (Phase 1 opening Fall 2018). Poet Laynie Browne and artist Brent Wahl presented a collaborative work of public art meant to be discovered by people walking on the elevated park. But Commissioners’ suggestions focused on simplifying the work to make it a better landmark.

“Dawn Chorus,” Laynie Browne & Brent Wahl’s proposed collaborative work of public art.

Speaking to the past

The proposed artwork is entitled Dawn Chorus, a 35-foot tall wooden telephone pole, with 7 aluminum cross beams holding cast bird forms in red, orange, yellow, green… all the colors in the visible spectrum. Leading up to the sculpture, says poet Browne, will be a “constellation” of selected poems around the theme of “communication in a multi-lingual meeting place.” These poems will be engraved into the granite pavers in the Park’s walkway (like the pavers at the Kelly Writer’s House, pictured below) in the poet’s original languages of English, Spanish, German, Russian, and will appear more frequently as a viewer approaches the sculpture. The Commissioners also suggested some of the poems be in Chinese, to recognize the adjacent neighborhood of Chinatown.

A paver with engraved poetry from the Kelly Writer’s House. Image provided by the artist.

Dawn Chorus takes its inspiration from the post-industrial landscape of the surrounding Callowhill neighborhood, and the history of the nearby rail station at Broad and Callowhill Streets. In its heyday, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad station was a hub of communication, and a meeting place for many cultures. Like with the network of railroad tracks crisscrossing the nation, the network of telegram and telephone utility poles allowed for transmissions to be sent across the country. The sculpture is a direct homage to this history, and the poetry expands on those ideas.

Artwork or landmark?

Although the piece received Conceptual Approval, the Art Commission’s response was tepid. Commissioner Robert Roesch took particular interest in the cast birds. He asked about the size and shape, and wondered if, at the proposed size, they would be legible from the ground. Other commissioners wanted more clarity on the size and quantity of the crossbeams, and wondered if the sculpture would clear the surrounding trees (they would, confirmed architect Bryan Haynes). Commissioner Joe Laragione mused that he wasn’t sure that the piece would read as a sculpture.

“If it’s going to be an icon you can see from the street, you don’t want to look at it and see a confluence of chaos… it’s got to have something we can read right away,” said Roesch.

Rendering of the proposed artwork “Dawn Chorus,” day and night. Image provided by the artist.

But chaos is precisely the intent of the artists. Their proposal is not public art as icon, as the Commissioners pushed it to be. Theirs is public art as subtle and poetic enhancement to the environment. In Wahl’s presentation, he eagerly described that the “telephone poles could blend into the natural environment,” and even hoped “that vines would group the base, further camouflaging it.” The current rendering even shows the start of this natural takeover.

This is a work that relies on a series of delicate and sophisticated metaphors. The sculptural elements aren’t works of beauty, but neither is our Rail Park. Yes, this park will be beautiful, but more for the metaphor of an abandoned and overgrown rail transformed into a community green space. The landscape architect of Rail Park’s Phase 1, Studio Bryan Haynes, traded manicured beauty for artfully rusting cor-ten steel beams to preserve the site’s legacy. Dawn Chorus also works with its Rail Park site, embedded with an ethos of rehabilitation, not reinvention.

Laynie Browne and Brent Wahl were among 68 applicants that responded to the Request for Qualifications issued by the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) in September 2015. Their proposal was selected as a finalist for this $33,000 opportunity by a panel including representatives from the OACCE, the Friends of the Rail Park, Studio Bryan Haynes, and the Center City District.

Schematic rendering of the Rail Park Phase 1 provided by Studio Bryan Haynes.

Philadelphia is a city with a One Percent for Art program in its Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, and another Percent for Art program in the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. Wahl and Browne’s proposed piece is under the jurisdiction of OACCE’s program.

In addition to these percent for art programs, the non-profit Association for Public Art advocates for and actively commissions new public art, roughly one new work each year. Across town, the city’s Mural Arts Program (funded partly by the city, and partly by private donations and foundation grants) commissions countless other works in the public sphere.

In a city with so much public art that is iconic, uplifting, and “landmarking,” (Claes Oldenburg’s “Clothespin,” Robert Indiana’s Love statue, Swann Fountain, etc.), new contemporary public artworks no longer need to function as landmarks. A successful public artwork can act as the symbol of our shared values. We would all be poorer if artists, and their interpretations of public space, were forced to favor “landmarking” over quiet reflection. For an artwork so well suited to its site as this proposal by Brent Wahl and Laynie Browne, perhaps we might let this public art hide in plain sight.

Disclaimer: Dave Kyu is currently working on a neighborhood cultural plan of Callowhill/Chinatown North with the Asian Arts Initiative, of which Friends of the Rail Park is a partner.

Rendering of new headhouses at 31st and Market St, image provided by the architect.

Additional notes

Septa’s 31th Street Market-Frankford stops are receiving new head houses. The proposal received Conceptual Approval, and when installed the sweeping glass vestibules will provide a new stairwell and elevator entrance to the subway line.

Although advertising wasn’t proposed at this site, the specter of SEPTA’s plan to fund operations by selling ad space on its properties hung over this decision. Chair Alan Greenberger made clear to SEPTA officials that no modifications, specifically no new ads, could be made to this design without consulting the Art Commission first. With that caveat, this project was granted Conceptual Approval.

[public-works-phl]

Art Commission Check-In: December 2016

Originally published on theartblog.org December 21, 2016

New residents of the Parkway

December’s Art Commission proposals bring our focus to the Ben Franklin Parkway. On the docket was a monumental Richard Serra sculpture, and a new Holocaust Memorial park.

The Ben Franklin Parkway has become the city’s stage. The six-lane boulevard, running diagonally from City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is tree-lined traffic thoroughfare. It is home to four major museums (Rodin, Barnes, Franklin Institute, and Philadelphia Museum of Art), the “Rocky” steps, and statues and sculptures by national and internationally recognized artists. The Parkway was the only Philadelphia public space that was appropriate for Pope Francis’ once-in-a-generation Sunday mass in 2016, and continues to host the annual July 4th and “Made in America” concerts, and yearly competitive charity races.

With the 2012 relocation of the Barnes Foundation from its longtime home in Merion, the Parkway cemented its status as Philadelphia’s “museum mile.” The ninety international flags that line the Parkway confirms that the Ben Franklin Parkway is Philadelphia’s global stage.

With status comes extra attention, and extra protection. As an employee of the city’s Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, I recall fielding a pitch from a group advocating for a Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Parkway. A great legacy, a positive message; makes sense, right? Not after I forwarded a three-page bullet list, created by the Public Art Advisory Council, of special considerations for any artwork on the Parkway—among them, that any memorial on this site have significant ties to Philadelphia. With no ties to Philadelphia, Gandhi was not a fit for the Parkway. Elsewhere in Philadelphia? Possibly. But the Parkway merits careful review, because as Philadelphia’s global stage, the collection of artifacts and attractions will represent our fair city to the world.

So how did these two proposals, the Holocaust memorial park and the Serra sculpture, fare?

Serra comes to the Parkway

First up was “Equal Elevations On and In” by Richard Serra, a work dating from 1988, promised to the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s (PMA) collection. “Equal Elevations” consists of two large sculptural walls (10.5’×20’×8” and 9’×20’×8”) made of Cor-Ten steel, Serra’s signature material, lauded not only for its durability, but for the beautiful surface rust it develops when installed outdoors. See the sculpture at the PMA website.

Commissioners asked about the durability of the steel and the effect on the immediate landscaping, about Serra’s willingness for public interaction, and about the increased potential for crime, given the sculpture’s presence as two large barriers in a public venue. Director Timothy Rub assured the Commissioners that security and lighting concerns were being addressed with Parks & Recreation, and Commission Chair Alan Greenberger argued that an art installation along a well-lit and highly traveled Parkway isn’t likely to attract crime.

Rub did concede that graffiti would be a challenge. Commissioner Joe Laragione pushed the point that Serra’s sculpture seemed an invitation for graffiti, and that “[g]etting it off and maintaining that beautiful surface will be impossible.” Rub disagreed, citing the other Rodin sculptures have been in the same area since 2012, with no instances of vandalism.

What Rub didn’t point out, is that the other Rodin sculptures are elevated on pedestals. An elevated sculpture presents a less attractive target then a ground-level wall. Graffiti is a mixture of visibility, opportunity, and free speech. Serra’s sculptures on the Parkway will have one-of-a-kind visibility, and sit at arm’s reach. But Serra is a living legend, so I don’t expect the works to be targeted outright. However, to come to the Art Commission with no clear plan for immediate graffiti removal and ongoing maintenance, especially for an institution that staffs conservators that advise on public art throughout the city, is absurd.

Greenberger added that he has “always wanted the Parkway to be an urban ground for sculpture.” With only Laragione voting against, the Commission granted Conceptual Approval, asking the design team to return when the technical questions of installation were resolved.

A new Holocaust memorial

Rendering of the Holocaust Memorial Park, at 16th and the Parkway. Rendering provided by the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation.

The next proposal sought to redesign a small, triangular-shaped lot at 16th and Arch St, on the Parkway. The site currently hosts sculptor Nathan Rapoport’s “Monument to Six Million Jewish Martyrs,” but is otherwise an elevated but unconsidered collection of trees. The new Holocaust Memorial Park would transform the wedge-shaped lot with a series of design interventions that encourage “reflection, contemplation, peace, education, remembrance, and hope for a future free from tyranny.”

This Holocaust Memorial has the distinction of the being the first public memorial in the US designed by Holocaust survivors. They are supported by a design partnership between The Remembrance Foundation, WRT Architects, the Post Brothers, and the Center City District. Leadership for the design group comes from the words of survivors: “Do not let the world forget. Never again,” and “We can change the future.”

The park will feature four main elements organized around the idea of remembrance. Six freestanding stone panels will be engraved with text, to tell the story of the Holocaust in six chapters. The number six represents the six million murdered. On the other side, those same panels will celebrate the human rights and protections, that were taken away during the Holocaust. The park will also include an imprint of train tracks onto the concrete plaza, a tree planted by children at the Theresienstadt concentration camp, and a remembrance wall that flickers with a digital “eternal flame” displayed on a monitor.

This design was first presented in July 2016, and having incorporated earlier suggestions, today’s presenters sought Final Approval. Three Commissioners spoke up to say they had only begun in September 2016, and hadn’t seen the original presentation. But ultimately, the Commission as a whole had few comments.

Chair Alan Greenberger did add one stipulation. Although the design team assured the Commission that the content of the 6 story-panels would be “very tasteful,” a team spokesman conceded that the text of the story-panels was not ready for review. Greenberger was reluctant to ask for the authority to copy-edit this content, but wanted a chance to review before the story was engraved and installed. So with this stipulation, the new park, for the Parkway, was given Final Approval.

These 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.

[public-works-phl]

Meet the Disruptor: Rob Blackson

Originally published on the Philadelphia Citizen Nov. 22, 2016

Nine neon signs hum and glow in the front windows of Temple Contemporary. They tell you if the gallery is open or closed, if there’s a lecture that day, or if it’s sun or rain outside. You walk in, but can’t find the title of the exhibition, nor the curatorial statement. Instead, you’re invited to take a sip of water that was distilled from Coca-Cola. Or observe bees in an artist-designed beehive. Or take a seat, from any of the 75 mismatched chairs off the walls, each one representing a cultural organization in Philadelphia. Let’s assume you’re confused, so you take a closer look at a gallery label. But even the label is unconventional, hand-drawn with ink recycled from the soot produced by the glass department down the hall.

These signifiers let you know not to expect a typical gallery experience. To understand what’s going on at Temple Contemporary, you have to dive into the unique vision of its director, Rob Blackson.

Image courtesy of Temple Contemporary.

Blackson, who moved to Philadelphia five years ago to become the director of Temple Contemporary, looked at the cultural landscape here to see a city full of galleries and museums operating in the typical fashion: An artist or group of artists, assembled by a curator, explores an issue within the white walls of a gallery, to an audience enticed with free wine and cheese. “We needed to find a niche,” remembers Blackson. “We didn’t want to add more broth to the soup.”

So Blackson decided to flip the script, taking his cues from the city around Temple, rather than telling the community what he wanted them to see. For example, take the 2014 reForm project. In 2013, city authorities announced that two-dozen Philadelphia schools were being shuttered. In response, Temple’s Youth Advisory Council, a panel of 10 high school students in paid positions to advise the gallery, wondered, “If the walls of a closed public school could speak, what would they say?”

With this assignment, Blackson found a partner in fellow Temple professor and artist Pepon Osorio, who collaborated with former Fairhill students to gather objects and stories in the wake of this school’s closing. The resulting reForm exhibition set off to answer the Youth Advisory Council’s provocative question— and this line of inquiry into the public school system has driven Temple Contemporary’s programming now for four years.

Mixed Media and Video Installation. Photograph by Constance Mensh. Commissioned by Temple Contemporary; Image courtesy of Temple Contemporary.

The Youth Advisory Council is only one such group to the gallery. Blackson also created a 30-member advisory council—made of 10 Temple students, 10 Temple faculty, and 10 civic/cultural leaders—to advise Temple Contemporary’s programs. This group was asked to bring their curiosity, and offered a real chance to set the program’s agenda. The program doesn’t just bring in participants, but asks its community members to become leaders. “Temple Contemporary creatively reimagines the social function of art, so it needed to function differently,” says Blackson. “[The Advisory Council] is a wonderful, wide-ranging group that ensures our efforts are not unilaterally determined, but responding to a communal effort embodying the breadth of contemporary life in Philadelphia.”

Temple is a sort of homecoming for Blackson, who was born in Altoona, before studying at the Rhode Island School of Design, Edinburgh College of Art, and Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College. He began to develop his unique vision as the curator of public programs at Nottingham Contemporary in the United Kingdom. Nottingham has one of the largest art spaces in the U.K., hosting the standard art programs: big exhibitions, lectures, film study. Blackson’s job was to connect the gallery exhibitions to local civic and education spaces, “trying to find the through lines with the public university.”

But at Nottingham, he grew to lament the fact that his community partnerships only ever lasted as long as the exhibitions themselves. And more, that it was exclusively the curatorial staff of Nottingham—Blackson and others—who drove the issues being explored. This was typical art world thinking, with curators and museum directors controlling cultural exploration.

It was Blackson’s time at Edinburgh College that showed him there could be a different way. As a young sculpture student he expected he would follow the standard career path: making work in his studio, waiting for a powerful curator to discover the work, and finally enjoying his turn as a legitimate artist. But the older students at Edinburgh refused to follow this narrative. Blackson recalls being amazed by these students organizing their own shows in off-the-beaten path venues around town—much like the DIY-gallery-movement that drives so much of Philadelphia’s art scene. Seeing this energy changed Blackson’s thinking about power in the art world.

At Temple Contemporary, Blackson has developed that notion into a more vibrant system that harnesses the energy of an engaged community. This thinking prompted one of his early projects, Funeral for a Home. As he tells the story, it started during a meeting of the advisory council, when a member stood and said, “I was looking for parking, and I realized that I’m surrounded by blight. There are more houses than people to fill them!” Another person asked, “What do these houses deserve before we pull them down?”

With local artists Billy and Steven Dufala and Jacob Hellman, Temple Contemporary responded: a funeral service. For the resulting Funeral for a Home, the team searched for a house set for demolition in the next year, that could represent all of Philadelphia’s housing stock. They settled on 3711 Melon Street in Mantua.

Funeral for a Home. Photo by Jeffery Stockbridge. Image courtesy of Temple Contemporary.

On the morning of May 31, 2014, over 500 neighborhood “mourners” gathered to celebrate the life of 3711 Melon Street, which the artists dressed up in its finest funeral wreath. Lifted by the gospel singing of the nearby Mt. Olive Baptist Church choir, the day also included remembrances from the homeowner’s relatives and local neighborhood leaders, proclaiming a brighter future. One speaker opined, “If you can have a funeral for a house, there’s a resurrection. And the resurrection should be the neighborhood.” Later, Pastor Harry Moore, Sr. of Mt. Olive, delivered a fiery eulogy, reminding the audience , “We are here to remember the past. We are here to reflect on the present. We are here to look towards the future.” After the service, the crowd looked on as an excavator began to tear down the bricks, and place the debris in a dumpster-turned-coffin, designed by Billy & Steven Dufala.

“This project gives us a moment to reflect on these houses and also reflect on the lives that have been shared in those homes,” said Blackson. “[Poet Thomas] Lynch (who is also a funeral director) made a comment in his book that ‘mourning is romance in reverse’ and I feel that this is true of Funeral for a Home.”

Funeral for a Home. Photo by Jeffery Stockbridge. Image courtesy of Temple Contemporary.

This type of project is possible only with a director “fed up” with an insular art community.

Blackson has built a program at Temple Contemporary that is a departure from most university galleries. Typically, these museums hold exhibitions that attract recognizable artists to raise the profile of the university, attract visitors to the school, and expose the student body to professional art practice—all under the direction of a curator, well versed in an art world jargon that’s incomprehensible to most of the public. Blackson doesn’t refuse these roles, but sees in Temple University’s mission a dynamic new way to achieve them.

“Temple is the city’s university,” he says. “It’s estimated that one-third of Philadelphians have taken a class at Temple.” This breadth gives Temple Contemporary a unique platform to use art to examine the civic issues that face Philadelphia. The questions that drive the gallery are brought into Tyler School of Art classes, and by looking at the whole city as its campus, Blackson empowers students to become an educated citizenry. “A lot of universities put their walls up—community is just another word. Temple Contemporary has tried to lead a more nuanced conversation.”

With over 35 events each season, Temple welcomed 17,000 visitors last year, up from 2,250 in the year before Blackson’s arrival. Those types of numbers can justify the university’s funding for this unique program, with additional support for the largest projects from individual foundations.

Temple Contemporary’s most recent project continues its inquiry into the state of public schools, after a prompt from the Advisory Council noting that music education funding had fallen from $1.7 million to $50,000 in the last 10 years. For Symphony for a Broken Orchestra, Blackson called on music education teachers across the city to drop off their broken musical instruments—1,500 in all, with no budget for repair. To Blackson, that meant 1,500 kids who would not receive an instrument.

He wondered, “What is the social function of an orchestra? How can we think of broken instruments as more than just a problem, but an opportunity for creative reuse? Is there a way to imagine the problem as its own solution?”

Symphony for A Broken Orchestra Installation. Photo by Dave Kyu.

These “uniquely-wounded” instruments are currently hanging on the pristine walls of Temple Contemporary. This fall, “Found Sound Nation” will document and record the sounds of these broken instruments, and composer David Lang will create a score using the sounds only they can make. The piece will be performed in October 2017, with musicians from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Boyer College of Music and Dance. But the project doesn’t stop there. In the spring of 2018, instrument repair specialists will take select instruments back to their shops for repair. The plan is to return the fixed instruments back to the schools by fall 2018.

Displaying broken objects, placing projects far from the white walls of the gallery—these capture the spirit of Blackson’s radical gallery program. One that re-imagines the university not just as a safe space for like minds, but as a training ground that, as Blackson describes, “empowers an educated citizenry that reimagines the problems of a city as its own solution.”

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Commission Report – November 2016

Originally published on theartblog.org November 20, 2016

Rendering of the proposed advertisements on the Municipal Services Building Courtesy of INTERSTATE OUTDOOR ADVERTISING LP/TANTALA ASSOCIATES LLC

Another month, another billboard. If you feel like you’ve been seeing too many, you’re right. The past year has brought: the Lits Building digital monstrosity at 8th and Market, a new digital billboard at 11th and Vine, and SEPTA’s recently approved Digital Ads at subway stops along the Orange & Blue lines. The Art Commission has been the battleground, seeing two new proposals this month. Luckily this month’s presenter shared a summary of how we got here:

2013: the Nutter Administration and City Council passed a law allowing non-accessory* advertisements on all public facilities;

*In plain English, a “non-accessory” sign is one that’s not related to the building – most commonly an advertisement. An “accessory” sign relates to what’s happening in the building, like a Wawa store having a Wawa sign

March 2014: The City releases a Request for Proposals for advertisements on any city property or vehicle

Feb. 2015: Interstate Outdoor Advertising LP is awarded the contract

Dec. 2015: Negotiations conclude to identify the Municipal Services Building and the One Parkway Building

Nov. 2016: Interstate Outdoor Advertising LP presents their plans to the Art Commission

This timeline starts with City Council’s 2013 law, opening the door for any City property or vehicle to host an advertisement. This is the vision of Darrell Clarke’s City Council–a city raising sorely needed funds by selling ad space anywhere. Remember that Clarke once proposed a highly unpopular 2013 bill to raise funds for schools through digital ad sales. It’s no surprise that now Council-president Clarke is molding the city to his ad-friendly vision.

Rendering of the proposed advertisements on the One Parkway Building Courtesy of INTERSTATE OUTDOOR ADVERTISING LP/TANTALA ASSOCIATES LLC

Interstate Outdoor’s proposal was designed to ruffle the fewest feathers. Their non-digital, non-illuminated billboards, with an invisible frame that nestled into the “building lines” of each property, were designed not to offend. It didn’t work. After every proposal, the Commission invites public comment, and eight people came forward. Local resident Richard Gross called it “an invasion of the the public right to unobstructed views.” Mary Tracy of Scenic Philadelphia recalled being astounded at the news of this proposal, and asked the Art Commission to protect the iconic views of the Parkway. Resident Barbara Chance said these new ads on government buildings would “imply that the city is for sale.” Patrick Grossi of the Preservation Alliance offered some architectural insight. While he conceded that the two buildings are far from beloved, they were designed to promote confidence and strength at a time the city was shrinking. These are mid-century landmarks, argued Grossi, and they deserve to keep their aesthetic integrity.

There were two letters of support: from Mayor Jim Kenney, and Council President Darrell Clarke, who cited this proposal as a great alternative to raising taxes. The Commission was not impressed. Citing traffic studies, PennDOT regulations, and architectural considerations, the Commission was not happy with the design as proposed, but reluctant to stand in the way of progress. While the motion for outright disapproval failed, the Commission moved to disapprove with request for the team to return with new ideas.

Before moving on, Chair Alan Greenberger shared a note of lament. While he acknowledged that the Commission’s role is to review these proposals, he lamented the lack of a clear strategy. These 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.

Hate the billboards? Love the transformation? Write to Council President Darrell Clarke to share your opinion!

OTHER NOTES

Three artworks that were displaced from the Market East Gallery’s reconstruction have found new homes! In addition, Julia Guerrero, Director of the Redevelopment Authority’s Percent for Art Program, shared the news that new firm PREIT will commission new Percent for Art Artworks for the incoming Fashion Outlets of Philadelphia for up to $1 million. More on the relocated artworks:

“Philadelphia Now & Then,” by Larry Rivers

Rendering of the Philadelphia Now & Then in its new location Image provided by Julia Guerrero

Originally underground in the SEPTA Concourse, the mosaic work will find a new home another SEPTA concourse, below the Wanamaker building. It’s an incredible effort, led by Materials Conservation Co, as each of the TK tiles needs to be scraped, and prepared for new installation.

“Amity,” by David Lee Brown

Amity by David Lee Brown Image courtesy of The Mathematical Tourist, http://mathtourist.blogspot.com

Formerly installed outdoors at 10th and Market, “Amity” will move to the Filbert Street Corridor, between 12th and 11th on Filbert Street.

“Burst of Joy,” by Harold Kimmelman

Photo by Ben Mikesell for Philly Magazine, http://www.philly.com

The most recognizable of the three artworks, located at 9th and Market, will be moved to Central High School where Kimmelman was a student. The piece actually includes the sculpture outdoors, and an additional hundreds of pieces inside the Gallery that will be reinstalled in Central High’s new art wing over the next five years.

The restoration of Rittenhouse’s Billy Goat was not presented today. But Margot Berg, Director of Public Art for the City of Philadelphia, says that they just needed a little more time to coordinate with the Friends Group, and Billy will be back on the agenda soon.

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October 2016 Art Commission Report

Originally published on theartblog.org October 24, 2016

SEPTA’s screens

After debate-filled presentations in July and September, Intersection’s Consulting Manager Jon Roche returned on October 10th for a third presentation. On the table once more were digital monitors proposed for numerous sidewalk-subway entrances along Broad and Market Streets.

These presentations have been contentious. Meetings have drawn endless questions from the Commissioners, raising concerns about the way the digital displays were to be  mounted, and the information on those displays. There have been lamentations about the growing footprint of digital advertising, and the eroding quality of Philadelphia’s historic districts. These meetings even drew passionate public testimony–a rare sight at these procedural meetings–where members of the public invoked the Art Commission’s charter, and asked the jury to uphold its purpose of keeping Philadelphia’s built landscape beautiful.

But amidst all this fury, the conversation slid into a common procedural trap. See, 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.” But the Commission often does not have those specifics. Yes, they’ve found fault with the project, but they’re asking the design team to consider the concerns they are raising. They want design teams in Philadelphia to already be considering the historic context of a site, a building’s design in the landscape, and to weigh beauty in equal measure to function and budget. But far too often, Commissioners get stuck suggesting hyper-specific changes, because the students want to know how to pass the test.

And so it went today. SEPTA addressed every concern by designing a slimmer, sleeker mount for the digital monitors, with a beveled weld, a matte finish, and hidden bolts for a nearly invisible frame that will now hold digital monitors above the street-level subway entrances along Broad and Market Streets. Near the end of the last discussion, Chair Alan Greenberger reminded the Commissioners that because City Council had voted to approve these screens, the Art Commission’s role was to advise not on whether (or not) to have them, but on how to install them. With all their changes incorporated, the Commission swiftly approved the new design. And as one Commissioner added, our monitors will be “better than New York’s”–which is to say, at least the hardware will look nice.

Additional notes

Back in March 2016, the previous Art Commission reviewed a proposal for a redesigned ADA elevator for the 5th Police District station. To remind you, the Commission has been reshaped under incoming mayor Jim Kenney, and added three new members at the March meeting. Back in March, the Commission rejected the enclosed-elevator plan, arguing that police buildings were increasingly functioning as community spaces, making universal access vital to their operation, and point out that the proposed design of an enclosed elevator served to reinforce the notion that wheelchair-users and the mobility-impaired are second-class citizens. Fast forward to October, with a revised design that adds a window to the ADA elevator door, replaces the concrete handrail with an open metal handrail, and adds neutral colors to the adjacent walls. Minor changes, but this Art Commission commended and approved the new design.

Renderings provided by the artist, Ben Volta

The Free Library in Tacony, one of four libraries to receive funds under the 21st Century Library Initiative, received approval for a new mural by artist Ben Volta. Diligence draws from historic images of Disston Saw Works to bring the neighborhood’s blue collar legacy into the library. The renderings show the full mural as proposed for the children’s room, as well as the frieze proposed for the main library rooms.

The beloved bronze sculpture, “Billy Goat,” of Rittenhouse Square appeared on October’s agenda, but arguments about its replacement by a bronze replica will be heard in November, since the discussion was postponed by Margot Berg, Director of Public Art. We’ll wait and see what’s going on with our beloved “Billy Goat,” but those curious can read the article by Jared Brey in Philadelphia Magazine.

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How to Improve the Next Philly Free Streets Day

Originally published on The Philadelphia Citizen October 7, 2016

The day was beautiful, the crowds joyous, and the air infinitely more breathable in Philadelphia—at least on South Street, on September 24th, during the city’s first-ever (not counting the Pope) Philly Free Streets Day. Open Streets PHL, an advocacy group created on the good vibes of the Pope visit, immediately declared the car-free event a success. The Managing Director’s Office of Transit & Infrastructure Systems, the city office that planned the event and placed the trash bins, is waiting to complete its evaluation before comment. Before the big day, I wrote about the history of the city street as a public space, and the lessons to be learned from the car industry.

After, I collected accounts from those who were there to find out for myself: Did Philly pull off a successful Free Streets Day?

A SINGLE STREET?

Before the day, some were skeptical of the car-free route—which was, essentially, just the length of South Street. At Philly Mag, Victor Fiorillo declared that Philly’s Big Open Streets Event Is One Big Disappointment because, he said, not closing the entire city center pointed to a half-ass attempt.

It’s true that the magic of that Pope Francis visit was the opportunity to freely explore vast swaths of the city. But that was a citywide security measure. Those who live and work near South Street underscored why that doesn’t really make sense for single-day events. Curtis Kise, owner of South Street’s Neighborhood Books, said even widening the event to include Lombard and Bainbridge streets is probably not a great idea. “Event setup began around 3 a.m., and a lot of cars were towed,” said Kise. “I’m sure residents weren’t happy.”

Indeed, the city apologized for a handful of mistaken tows, assuring refunds. A resident, picking up her towed vehicle, noted, “I am disappointed that such a lovely event is now tarnished to the residents that live here.”

Closing a street in such a dense urban neighborhood is a nuisance to the locals, and closing more streets is even more disruptive to neighbors.

And a funny thing happened. It didn’t feel like a half-ass attempt. Although it was just one street, there was a palpable energy of happiness and excitement. “It’s really not the number of streets,” says attendee Lisa Drago. “It’s the energy and community, and it was so beautiful.”

Even Fiorillo cedes that most Free Streets style events around the world typically close down only one route, including Pittsburgh’s OpenStreetsPGH, or Fargo, North Dakota’s Streets Alive! After all, this great achievement for Philadelphia, will be short-lived if residents refuse to host it.

FOR NEXT TIME: The city says it started posting No Parking flyers on Thursday and was finished by 8 p.m. Friday. Towing began 3 a.m. Saturday. It’s not like Free Streets Day snuck up on them. Next time, let’s give residents more notice.

FLOW OF (NON-AUTO) TRAFFIC

Big crowds certainly poured out for Free Streets, creating a convivial and energetic atmosphere. But there was a drawback: On the east end of South Street, bikers were visibly frustrated as they tried to navigate the crowd.

On the Open Streets Facebook page, a user commented, “It was like riding on the sidewalk but with thousands of people. Aren’t there already pedestrian-focused open streets?”

Although activities were wisely located on side streets, to leave South Street open as a thoroughfare, there still wasn’t enough space to handle the crowds. South Street is not a particularly wide street—imagine the difference if the event was on Columbus Boulevard. But also, Philadelphia Free Streets, for better or worse, wasn’t geared toward any single audience the way the Ciclovia in Bogota, Colombia, or the CicLAvia in Los Angeles, are aimed at cyclists.

Somehow, runners got the message, though: Groups like the Philly Distance Runners organized runs at 8 a.m., taking advantage of cleared roads, before the crowds came to clog up the event.

FOR NEXT TIME: There are a few ways to handle different types of traffic. One is to separate them entirely—give bicyclists and runners their own ‘adult swim’ time, earlier in the day. In addition to offering these go-getters the experience they want, it also sets the expectation that accelerated transport will not be available all day. Or manufacture more space for the event, either by targeting our larger streets (Columbus, Broad Street, or American Street come to mind), or by closing two streets, one for east traffic and one for west.

BIG BUSINESS

One of the city’s stated goals for Philly Free Streets was to help residents “explore the communities and businesses along the route.” But this is one area where Free Streets would be wise to avoid replicating Pope Francis’s 2014 visit.

After being promised 1.5 million visitors, with all their spending power, many businesses instead suffered. The Midtown III restaurant, for example, spent $7,500 on food, and another $1,000 on a parking space, all wasted. And with sales down more than 50 percent, Robek’s, a juice and smoothie shop, decided to close early Sunday. Meryl Levitz, president and chief executive of Visit Philadelphia opined, “To look at a grassroots spiritual event in terms of immediate economic benefit is asking too much of it.”

So how did businesses fare at Philly Free Streets? The results are mixed. Food and drink venues like Ants Pants Cafe, and Little Spoon, reported lots of new faces. Neighborhood Books took advantage of the event by hosting a sidewalk sale. Stores like Repo Records and Image on South reported no change in business, or even a drop in sales. Even worse, at least two businesses I spoke to were caught off guard by the event. When I asked the convenience store at 13th and South, they said “the event was more about walking through,” and that the crowd was “more of a Whole Foods audience, anyways.”

Most promising were the businesses that saw no benefit, but still support more Free Streets. Although Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens cited lower attendance during the event, you couldn’t tell from their enthusiasm. “It felt so positive and was such a happy celebration,” said Emily Smith, executive director of Magic Gardens. “Honestly, I was sad I didn’t get a chance to rent an Indego and participate—it was really inspiring!”

Even Rich Frank, owner of Fat Tuesday, who saw no new visitors and admits “it’s not my target crowd,” still supports “any attempts trying to bring people down to [South] Street.”

FOR NEXT TIME: Frankly, the “boon for business” pitching of a civic-minded event like Free Streets feels wrong, and places undue pressure on the event. This pitch needs to shift from guaranteed dollars to guaranteed exposure, with an emphasis on building community.

And while the city did a decent attempt to get the word out (with robocalls, and some flyering) no businesses were surprised by the event. The thing about business owners is that they’re sitting ducks: from open to close, they are there in that store. Send a letter, send a text message, send a street team to stop in the stores. Or better yet, hold a planning meeting with local business associations to hear their voice. For Free Streets to occur two to three times a year, we need businesses to be on board.

END OF EVENT

From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Free Streets hosted not a single tank of gas. But after five hours of different use, how, you may ask, did we make the transition from pedestrian heaven to vehicular traffic? Not gracefully.

Street cleaning machines were dispatched to wash off all the chalk wayfinding. Flatbed trucks began collecting all the barricades. Perhaps most egregious were the leaf blowers. Meant to clean the debris, some attendees felt, as one Facebook commenter put it, like they “were literally using leaf blowers to make everyone scurry—it was a horrible ending to an otherwise beautiful day.”

FOR NEXT TIME: Get rid of the leaf blowers. Yes, it’s important to re-establish the rules of the road, but compressed air is not the way to do it. Bring down a parade float, or invite the Simeone Auto Museum to roll its vintage wheels to re-open the car route. Co-ordinate a street wide “cutting of the caution tape.” Instead of an abrupt transition, find a better way to celebrate the emotions of the day.

And, longer hours! More hours means more time to play, explore, soak in the good vibes. That transition back to the 1905 street will always be tough, but a setting sun just might be the perfect sendoff.

Header photo from Open Streets PHL Facebook

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Bringing Back the ‘Jay Driver‘

Originally published on The Philadelphia Citizen September 23, 2016

Of all the blessings Pope Francis gave to Philadelphia in his visit last September, perhaps the most unexpected will happen this Saturday, during Philly Free Streets Day. As you’ll recall, to prepare for this monumental visit, Philadelphia city officials announced comprehensive traffic control measures that scared many residents into leaving. But with fewer visitors than expected, the conditions were perfect for those who remained to magically rediscover their city as a walkable and car-free utopia. Soon after, Open Streets PHL launched to capitalize on this public gift.

But this new movement—creating what Mayor Jim Kenney calls a “safe environment for physical activity, learning, and bettering the futures of thousands of children” on 10 miles of city street tomorrow—is actually the story of a public space we lost long ago.

At the turn of the century, streets were already vibrant gathering spaces. “Until the 1920s,” writes historian Peter Norton, author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City, “cars were at best uninvited guests.” But as automobile sales rose, so did fatalities. Accidents involving children, especially, were publicly mourned in the same way we mourn the 2012 Sandy Hook shootings—as needless deaths that demanded a public conversation, and calls against inaction. As we prepare for our first ever Philly Free Streets Day, let’s take a look back at the dramatic history of the city street.

E.B. Lefferts understood that in America, you can’t enforce a law that people don’t believe in. You have to make them believe first. Lefferts asked law enforcement not to arrest jaywalkers, but instead to blow their police whistles at jaywalkers, attracting attention and ridicule.

In 1906, the average state speed limit was 10 miles per hour. The street was a perfectly safe place for children to play, and safe for anyone who wanted to cross. But between 1907 and 1923, with the rise of the Model-T, auto-fatalities across the country rose from 500 to 16,000 per year, with many involving children. No matter the circumstance, it was the automobile—the imposing, screaming, metal machine—that was always considered at fault. “Mothers of children killed in the streets,” reports Jesse Dukes for the 99% Invisible podcast, “were given a special white star to honor their loss.” Consider this passage from the November 23, 1924, issue of The New York Times:

“The horrors of peace appear to be [more] appalling than the horrors of war. The automobile looms up as a far more destructive piece of mechanism than the machine gun. The reckless motorist deals more death the artilleryman. The man in streets seems less safe than the man in the trench. The greatest single lethal factor is the automobile. It left shambles in its wake as it coursed through 1923.”

Anti-automobile sentiment swelled. Citizens in Cincinnati collected 40,000 signatures in support of a 25 mile per hour limit on all city vehicles. City managers considered other anti-auto measures, such as outlawing curbside parking, or requiring that cars make right-angle turns around obstacles. Newspapers at the time often depicted the grim reaper driving a Model-T over hordes of people. In the streets, people and cars didn’t mix, and it was the car that had to go.

Auto manufacturers took notice. They realized that if they were going to continue sales, they would need to change public opinion. Loosely banded together under the name Motordom, auto interests lobbied Congress for appropriations for better roads, and for pro-auto legislation. But E.B. Lefferts, head of the automobile club of Southern California, knew that they couldn’t just change laws. As Norton explains, “before the city street could be physically reconstructed to accommodate motor vehicles, it had first to be socially reconstructed as a modern thoroughfare.” Motordom enacted two public campaigns that continue to define our streets.

The first breakthrough was to shift the blame from drivers to pedestrians. To do this, they introduced a new word into the public imagination. If “jay” was a derogatory term for an empty-headed chatterbox from the country (like a bluejay), then a “jay-walker” was this country bumpkin who, overwhelmed by the big city lights, stepped dangerously into traffic. Alongside newspaper and radio ads, Motordom found creative ways to popularize their new word. During a 1921 safety week in Grand Rapids, Michigan, local Boy Scouts were recruited to issue cards to offenders, that read, “Did you know you were jaywalking?” Other text on the card would go on to explain what jaywalking was, and why it was wrong. And how successful was this campaign? While jaywalker entered the Oxford dictionary in 1921, I bet you’ve never heard any of the counter-campaigns: the “jay driver,” the “joy rider,” the “flivverboob.”

Motordom also successfully passed an anti-jaywalking ordinance in Los Angeles in 1924, making jaywalking punishable by fine, and jail time. But again, E.B. Lefferts understood that in America, you can’t enforce a law that people don’t believe in. You have to make them believe first. Lefferts asked law enforcement not to arrest jaywalkers, but instead to blow their police whistles at jaywalkers, attracting attention and ridicule. Norton explains, “…to Lefferts it was more important that the onlooker sees this person being ridiculed, than actually [converting] this individual to correct crossing behavior. The onlookers are going to witness this ridicule and think, I don’t want to get that kind of ridicule, so I’m going to cross carefully.” By the 1930s, anti-jaywalking legislation had become the norm.

Fast forward to today, where cars rule the streets. This is, partly, a matter of economics: As Paul Levy pointed out this summer, a lack of jobs in town means some 39 percent of Philadelphia residents commute to the suburbs. That’s thousands of people who depend on their vehicle, navigating streets to get to work. Furthermore, without good streets (or refrigeration), bringing produce from rural to urban areas quickly before they spoil, is also impossible. Cars, and the ability to drive them, contributes tremendously to a city’s quality of life.

An opportunity to enjoy a car-free street is the first glimmer into what’s possible. But to change hearts, we need to feel the joy of crossing a street without fear. We need to bottle that same magic of the Pope Francis’ unexpected gift to Philadelphia. Without these warm, gooey feelings, the idea that enjoying the streets is a political action against the last 100 years of automobile advocacy has no legs.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t share the streets way more than we do now. As modern life trends towards urbanization, we are beginning to think more, and more radically, about the quality of life in the inner city. In Bogota, Mayor Enrique Peñalosa has called for a plan to make every other street car-free. Programs like SFPark are using technology to assess the cost of the location and space that an idle car occupies, to keep 15 percent of spaces free on every block. The Vision Zero movement in cities around the country is a revival of the “jay driver” campaigns of yesteryear—putting the onus on drivers to keep walkers safe, not vice versa. In Philadelphia, Mayor Kenney has signed on to Vision Zero, promising to cut pedestrian deaths and serious injuries in half by the end of his first term.

This is not an easy shift—just look at what happened this summer when 5th Square suggested eliminating parking from the Broad Street median in South Philly. Emotions ran high.

That’s why Open Streets PHL could take a lesson from Motordom. Changing the way cities work means changing hearts, even using shame or the fear of public ridicule to get the message across.

Related from The Philadelphia Citizen:South Philly Split on Broad Street ParkingOur survey shows a small preference for continuing to allow parking on the median—and lots of anger on both sides of the issue

Open Streets PHL founder Jon Geeting hopes the city hosts these car-free festivals at least three times a year. And thanks to Pope Francis, that may be possible. But Geeting also hopes Free Streets Days will “help change Philadelphians’ conceptions of what our public streets are for.” This is the reverse of what Motordom has fought since 1924, something that gets harder every time we play “Red Light, Green Light” with our kids, and that requires an incredible re-imagination of what, and who, the street is for.

This Saturday’s Philly Free Streets Day is a start. An opportunity to enjoy a car-free street is the first glimmer into what’s possible. But Free Streets can’t just be a block party. To change hearts, we need to feel the joy of crossing a street without fear. We need to bottle that same magic of the Pope Francis’ unexpected gift to Philadelphia. Without these warm, gooey feelings, the idea that enjoying the streets is a political action against the last 100 years of automobile advocacy has no legs. Public space is a reflection of who we are, what values we hold dear, and how we want to live. Public space is all around us, but it is never neutral. So this Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., practice yoga in a turning lane, or picnic on the yellow lines of MLK Drive. In the spirit of E.B. Lefferts: You’d be a total idiot not to join in.

Header photo courtesy of Open Streets PHL

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September 2016 Art Commission Report

Originally published on theartblog.org September 15, 2016

The 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.

SEPTA and Intersection Consulting proposed new digital television screens above subway entrances at multiple locations along Market and Broad Streets. You’ve seen them in New York City and Boston–screens that display transit information, emergency notices, and paid advertisements. Heck, you’ve even seen them in Philadelphia. The program is being piloted at the 15th & Market and 34th & Market stops.

Pilot screen installed at 15th & Market St.

The proposal was first presented in July, where it sparked a heated debate. Commissioners lamented the addition of yet another screen to our cityscape, and critiqued the design of the monitors themselves. Two months removed from that disastrous presentation, the Intersection design teams returned with only minor changes–the casing would be upgraded to stainless steel, and a new skirt underneath the monitors would hide the bolt attachments to the concrete. Commissioners noted that the changes showed little effort, but Intersection responded that in fact, the lack of design was important for the monitors to eventually become invisible in the cityscape. Cities are sophisticated, SEPTA argued, because they adapt to change. And, besides, the 55” screens are smaller than what most of us have at home.

In yet another heated discussion, two concessions were touted by the SEPTA-Intersection brain trust. First, that each screen could be individually programmed so that SEPTA could offer free advertising for community organizations. Second, that at certain locations, SEPTA was working on slideshows to educate riders of the historic qualities of their neighborhood. Commissioners rightly wondered how community groups could utilize this program. But the conversation took a turn when opened to public comment.

First was Mary Tracy, the Director of Scenic Philadelphia. She made a plea for the scenic and historic value of Broad Street, and the effect on the scenery of these digital displays. She wondered about Broad Street’s historic value, and if this proposal may be subject to PennDOT and Historic Commission’s review. The Art Commission, she said, should hold their ruling until SEPTA could provide all the necessary approvals. Another woman, owner of a property on Broad Street, testified that tenants were not contacted, and she was concerned about the brightness of the display. Later, a third person, from the Managing Director’s Office of Transit, sauntered up to the microphone to say that their office has received no complaints about the digital bus shelter signs, that they’ve heard that riders want real-time info, and ultimately support this initiative.

Despite this, Mary Tracy pleaded with the Art Commission to remember their principles. She read a few lines from their charter, and reminded them that their duty is to preserve the aesthetic quality of the city and to protect the public from ‘the ugly.’ She asked that the Commission, through their aesthetic review, should please remember its inherent responsibility to improve the value of neighborhoods.

New Chair Alan Greenberger ended the proceedings with a summary that deflated the tension in the room. He reminded the Commissioners that City Council had already voted yes on this manner, already clearing the way for the installation of these screens. The Commission’s job was not to allow or not allow these monitors, but merely to advise on how they would be installed.

So at the end, Interstate received conceptual approval for the monitor skirts, and will return in the October meeting with a modified design. As Interstate said, “We’re partners with SEPTA, with the City of Philadelphia. We’re not going to go away.”

Other Notes:

Three new Commissioners were sworn in: Natalie Nixon, Professor at Philadelphia University Alan Urek, Ex-officio officer from the Department of Public Property Raed Nasser, Ex-officio officer from Parks & Recreation

Local artist Jennie Shanker received Conceptual Approval for her Percent for Art Project at the Maplewood Mall reconstruction in Germantown

Local artist Ava Blitz received Final Approval her Percent for Art project at the Martin Luther King Older Adult Center, at 2100 Cecil B. Moore Ave

The AMOR sculpture received Final Approval to be relocated from the PMA steps to Sister Cities Park

The next Art Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 5th, at 9:30am on the 18th Floor of the One Parkway Building, 1515 Arch Street. The meeting is free and open to the public.