A boat floating above the ground or a futuristic-looking pair of saucers? You can help select a new public art installation at Penn's Landing by voting on the six competing semi-finalists' project proposals.
The winning site-specific design will be part of the new 11.5-acre Park at Penn's Landing on the Delaware River Waterfront, which is set to be completed in 2025. The final project selection will be made within the next few months.
The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation are seeking the public's input to determine which design best fits the community. You can view proposals, photos and descriptions from the artists before voting for the competing designs in an online survey.
The competing proposals include sculptures with seating areas, artwork from the Philadelphia Museum of Art and towering heights that are visible from Center City.
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"The Water Goddess" by Olalekan Jeyifous features a tall, green, mermaid-like female form, with seating on the head, hump and tail. The sculpture will “flow” through the park with three separate shade structures.
"What If" by Tristan Al-Haddad features 27 large-scale blackened steel plates stacked on top of each other in a vertical sculpture representing the amendments to the United States Constitution.
Douglas Hollis's "Vessel" is a shade structure shaped like a boat hull viewed from underwater. The figure will swing back and forth in the wind, mimicking a boat on the waves.
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"The Forum" by Michelle Lopez and Sharon Hayes aims to honor the city's history through a sidewalk in shape of the 18th century shoreline of the Lenapewihittuck, the name the Lenape gave the Delaware River. The installation also features fragments from Pennsylvania Hall, an 1838 anti-slavery venue near the waterfront that was burned down by a white mob.
Alice Aycock's design consists of two large saucers that intersect each other with LED lighting, representing the intersection of permanence and change.
Diana Al-Hadid's proposal involves a digital collage of artwork from the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the garden shade pavilion. The line drawings will be visible from both the inside and outside of the pavilion, with the sky serving as a background.
To vote on the installations, community members must fill out a survey responding to two questions for each project on a scale of one to five: "Do you like this proposal?" and "Do you think the proposal would engage or be interesting to Philly Waterfront visitors?"
The survey also asks respondents for their zip code, how often they visit the Philly Waterfront, and several questions about their identity.
The Penn’s Landing Percent for Art Committee selected the six semi-finalists from 158 nationwide applications. The Committee includes members of Philadelphia organizations such as the Asian Arts Initiative, artists, residents, architects of the Park at Penn's Landing, government officials and representatives of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
The winning project will receive a budget of $700,000 for costs such as artist fees, insurance, installation and travel.
"The associated site-specific Percent for Art public art commission will have the potential to tell the park’s many stories and histories and speak to all Philadelphians and visitors with meaning, inclusivity and thoughtfulness," the survey reads.
The project will be commissioned through Philadelphia's Percent for Art Program, which requires the inclusion of site-specific public art in new construction or major renovation projects.
