Please note that Winter Fountains is no longer on view. Thank you to all of our partners and everyone who supported this project!

• Presented by the Parkway Council and commissioned by the Association for Public Art (aPA) for Parkway 100, with major support from the William Penn Foundation
• Four large fiberglass domes glow with Jennifer Steinkamp’s dream-like animated video projections, inspired by Franklin’s electrical research and the Parkway institutions
• On view November 30, 2017 – March 18, 2018, nightly from sunset to midnight on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Domes were installed at Aviator Park, Rodin Museum, Park Towne Place, and Spring Garden Triangle
• Steinkamp is a world-renowned video and new media artist and professor in UCLA’s Department of Design Media Arts

For Parkway 100, the centennial celebration of Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Parkway Council presented Jennifer Steinkamp‘s Winter Fountains, a major installation commissioned by the Association for Public Art (aPA). Winter Fountains served as a centerpiece of Parkway 100, which includes more than a year of public events and activities planned by the Parkway Council – a coalition of cultural and educational institutions, businesses and residences in the Parkway Museums District. Winter Fountains was on view along the Parkway from November 30, 2017 – March 18, 2018, nightly from sunset to midnight, and was made possible with major support from the William Penn Foundation.

Read the press release here.

Inspired by the signature fountains of the Parkway, the installation features four 13ft-high and 26ft-wide architectural domes – metaphorical winter fountains – that glow with Steinkamp’s phantasmagoric and dream-like animated video projections. Eight digital animations are projected onto the surface of the domes in distinct hues, whether cool green or blue, or warm red/pink or yellow. The imagery reimagines the formation of electricity in clouds, inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s research and evoking the art and science explorations represented by the Parkway institutions. It’s a celebration of scientific inquiry.

“Anyone who’s ever observed water melting and glistening on a piece of ice will get my project,” says Steinkamp. She takes a universal observation in nature and magnifies it into an otherworldly experience.

Layers of animations evoke tiny dust particles colliding to create lightning or to spark static electricity; others depict water combusting into gas and steam. Asteroid-shaped particles hurl forward in space and liquid droplets contract and expand in different colors, motions and sequences. Otherworldly constellations of shapes appear to be coming at the viewer, moving up and down or changing directions randomly. In one dome, steam seems to rise in disconcertedly real-looking puffs. Hand-drawn by Steinkamp, cascades of spring flowers also flow through the animation. From asters and blue bells, to lilies and Solomon’s seals, plus blue-eyed grasses, columbines, dahlias, irises, lobelias, oxeyes, and phloxes – there are 11 flowers featured, and with the exception of dahlias, all are native to Pennsylvania.

The four domes and 16 video projectors were installed along the Parkway at Aviator Park in front of the Franklin Institute, the Rodin Museum grounds near 21st Street, the Park Towne Place Museum Residences, and the Spring Garden Triangle near Eakins Oval, forming a glowing constellation within a mile-long landscape. Made of fiberglass and embedded with glitter, the “fountains” shimmer in the day and glow in the evening.

@parkwaymuseumsdistrict @assocpublicart
#WinterFountainsPhilly #Parkway100

Sponsorship

Winter Fountains for the Parkway is presented by the Parkway Council and commissioned by the Association for Public Art (aPA) for Parkway 100 in Philadelphia, with major support from the William Penn Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Association for Public Art (aPA); The Logan, Philadelphia’s Hotel; and individual donors. In-kind support is provided by Visit Philadelphia, Pennoni, The Franklin Institute, and Urban Sign. Our partners include the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

Parkway 100 is also made possible through the generous leadership support of PECO, PNC Bank, and 6abc.

Jennifer Steinkamp is an American installation artist who works with video and new media to explore ideas about architectural space, motion, and perception. In 1980, Steinkamp moved to Los Angeles to attend Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, studying with Mike Kelley, Gene Youngblood, and Jeremy Gilbert-Rolfe. She then transferred to the California Institute of the Arts, where she studied experimental animation. In 1991, Steinkamp returned to Art Center to earn her BFA and MFA and in 2011 was recognized by the school with an Honorary Doctorate. She is currently a professor in the department of Design Media Arts at UCLA.

Jennifer Steinkamp has participated in such noted exhibitions as Time Square Arts: Midnight Moment (2016), Prospect. 2 in New Orleans (2013) and executed a range of commissions, included the projection work 6EQUJ5 on the central dome of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Her installation art has been the subject of exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego; and MassMoCA, North Adams, Massachusetts; among other venues.;and has toured with the band U2.

Presented by The Parkway Council – a coalition of cultural and educational institutions, businesses, and residences in Philadelphia’s Parkway Museums District – Parkway 100 is a year-long celebration to mark the centennial of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. From September 8, 2017, through November 16, 2018, the Parkway Council presents a calendar of exhibitions, events, community conversations and promotions that are themed to this important milestone. Jennifer Steinkamp’s Winter Fountains – presented by The Parkway Council and commissioned by the Association for Public Art (aPA) – served as a centerpiece for Parkway 100.

Parkway Council members include: the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Aimco/Park Towne Place, Association for Public Art (aPA), the Barnes Foundation, Brandywine Realty Trust, Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter & Paul, Center City District (Cret Park, Dilworth Park, and Sister Cities Park), Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, College of Physicians/Mütter Museum, Eastern State Penitentiary, Fairmount Water Works, Fox Rothschild LLP, The Franklin Institute, Free Library of Philadelphia, Friends Select School, Independence Visitor Center, The Logan Hotel, Moore College of Art & Design, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia Mormon Temple, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Philadelphian, and the Rodin Museum.

About the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

The development of the Parkway took place over decades, from the first proposal and signed petition received by City Council in 1891, to groundbreaking in 1907, and finally construction in 1917. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported the Parkway’s October 26, 1918 completion in its story, “Parkway is Open From Hall to Park” (October 27, 1918, pg. 3). The one-mile Benjamin Franklin Parkway stretches from Philadelphia City Hall to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, connecting the city’s business district to Fairmount Park, one of the largest urban green spaces in the United States. Known as the Parkway Museums District, the cultural destination is home to some of the city’s most treasured museums, including the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Barnes Foundation, The Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Rodin Museum. The picturesque Swann Memorial Fountain at Logan Square is among the Parkway’s most scenic spaces and an example of the Parkway’s abundant public art, with a unique interpretive program by the Association for Public Art (aPA). Locals and visitors like to gather at the Parkway’s pocket parks, including Dilworth Park, Love Park, Cret Park, Sister Cities Park, and The Oval, or run the steps “Rocky” made famous. Trees and international flags line the boulevard, which is also known for its exceptional architecture. The Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter & Paul, Friends Select School, Moore College of Art & Design, and the newly completed Philadelphia Mormon Temple are also here.

Learn more about the history of the Parkway in this commemorative Museum Without Walls: AUDIO program, Parkway at 100: Dreams into Reality.

Voices heard: PENNY BALKIN BACH is the Executive Director & Chief Curator of the Association for Public Art and the author of many books and articles about Philadelphia’s public art. DAVID BROWNLEE is an architecture historian and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and the author of Building the City Beautiful: The Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Producer: Alex Lewis

Winter Fountains Final Reception

Friday, March 16, 2018, 7:00-8:30 pm
Park Towne Place Apartments – North Tower Lobby
2200 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Free Event

It’s the last weekend! Join us for a reception at Park Towne Place to celebrate the final days of Jennifer Steinkamp’s Winter Fountains on the Parkway. Enjoy complimentary light refreshments and discuss art on the Parkway with Art Ambassadors from the Association for Public Art, Parkway 100 representatives, and art curators from Park Towne Place. You can also experience Configuration: Nicholas Kripal, an exhibition of ceramic sculpture presented by Park Towne Place and InLiquid.

Winter Fountains Dessert Reception at The Galleries at Moore

Friday, February 16, 2018, 5:00-8:00pm
Moore College of Art & Design
20th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Free admission

Walk the Parkway to catch Jennifer Steinkamp’s Winter Fountains, then come inside the Galleries at Moore for dessert and hot chocolate! Also explore Moore College of Art & Design’s current exhibitions:

Not Ready to Make Nice: Guerrilla Girls in the Art World and Beyond

Kara Springer: Ten Days Before Freedom, a Hymnal

Moore Monuments: Recent MFA Projects

Winter Fountains Dessert Reception & Dinos After Dark

Friday, January 26, 2018, 5:00-8:00pm
*Live animal shows at 5:30pm and 7:00pm
Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Pay-what-you-wish (suggested donation is $10)

Explore Jennifer Steinkamp’s mesmerizing Winter Fountains on the Parkway, then come inside the Academy for dessert and Dinos After Dark. The museum will be open late with pay-what-you-wish admission, a Dino Drafts beer garden with food in Dinosaur Hall, live animal presentations (at 5:30pm and 7:00pm), and fun hands-on activities. Adults and families are welcome. The beer garden will be set up among the dinosaurs, and partial proceeds will benefit the Academy. Art Ambassadors from the Association for Public Art will also be available to talk to visitors about Winter Fountains and the Parkway’s extraordinary collection of public art.

Winter Fountains Dessert Reception & Barnes Pop-Up Holiday Market

Friday, December 15, 2017, 5:00-8:00pm – Free
Barnes Foundation
21st St and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Free admission

Experience Jennifer Steinkamp’s four-domed Winter Fountains along the Parkway, and stop by the Barnes Foundation for hot chocolate, cookies, art and shopping! Enjoy free admission to the world-renowned Barnes collection and their special exhibition, Kiefer Rodin. Shop for funky apparel, artisanal goods, and handmade jewelry from local vendors.

Free Public Reception and Ceremonial Lightning

Thursday, November 30, 2017, 5:30-8:30pm
Fels Planetarium, The Franklin Institute
20th St and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Free! Warm drinks and desserts will be served

5:30-6:00pm – Remarks and light refreshments
6:30pm – Ceremonial lighting in Aviator Park (just outside)
6:30-8:30pm – Dessert reception

Join the artist, Parkway Council, and Association for Public Art (aPA) for a free public reception and ceremonial lighting of Jennifer Steinkamp’s Winter Fountains, in celebration of Parkway 100. Enjoy hot chocolate and refreshments indoors at The Franklin Institute before heading outside to Aviator Park to view one of four Winter Fountains light up with Steinkamp’s animated video projections. Afterward, explore all four dazzling and mesmerizing Winter Fountains along the Parkway.

Voices heard in the program:

Jennifer Steinkamp, who created Winter Fountains, is a world renowned artist and professor in the Department of Design Media Arts at UCLA. Steinkamp works with video and new media to explore and share ideas about space, motion, and perception.

Penny Balkin Bach is the former Executive Director of the Association for Public Art and Chief Curator for Winter Fountains.

Matt Rader is the Vice President of the Parkway Council and President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Larry Dubinski is the President & CEO of The Franklin Institute.

Segment Producer: Anne Hoffman

Museum Without Walls: AUDIO is the Association for Public Art’s award-winning audio program for Philadelphia’s outdoor sculpture. Available for free by cell phone, mobile app, audio download, or on the web, the program features more than 150 voices from all walks of life – artists, educators, civic leaders, historians, and those with personal connections to the artworks. Unique audio programs are available for more than 70 outdoor sculptures throughout Center City Philadelphia and Fairmount Park.

Sponsorship

Winter Fountains for the Parkway is presented by the Parkway Council and commissioned by the Association for Public Art (aPA) for Parkway 100 in Philadelphia, with major support from the William Penn Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Association for Public Art (aPA); The Logan, Philadelphia’s Hotel; and individual donors. In-kind support is provided by Visit Philadelphia, Pennoni, The Franklin Institute, and Urban Sign. Our partners include the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

Parkway 100 is also made possible through the generous leadership support of PECO, PNC Bank, and 6abc.

Support Winter Fountains!

Your gift will support the world premiere of Winter Fountains in Philadelphia.
Questions? Contact contributions@associationforpublicart.org

Donate

About the Parkway Council
A coalition of cultural and educational institutions, businesses, and residences in the vicinity of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Parkway Council is dedicated to ensuring the Parkway Museums District realizes its potential as a truly unique cultural destination. The Council’s members are committed to creating a distinctive, vibrant, and welcoming place for residents, visitors, and the institutions and businesses that share the Parkway. It works closely with the City of Philadelphia and other public and private organizations to identify the best strategies for enhancing and promoting the Parkway, and serves as a strategic partner and catalyst to ensure that those strategies are implemented.

About the Association for Public Art (aPA)
The Association for Public Art (aPA, formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association) commissions, preserves, interprets, and promotes public art in Philadelphia. The aPA is the nation’s first private nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a “Museum Without Walls” that informs, engages, and inspires diverse audiences. Supporting originality and innovation while honoring the past, aPA advances opportunities for creative people to contribute to the city’s places and spaces. Established in 1872, aPA integrates public art and urban design through exemplary programs and advocacy efforts that connect people with public art.

Special thanks to those who helped make Winter Fountains possible:

Project Team

Artist
Jennifer Steinkamp

Association for Public Art Staff
Penny Balkin Bach, Executive Director & Chief Curator
Greta Gabriel, Project Assistant
Laura S. Griffith, Associate Director
Ashley Lippolis, Digital Content & Program Assistant
Caitlin Martin, Media & Communications Manager
Susan Myers, Assistant Curator & Project Manager
Ginger Osborne, Office Manager
Nora Sutherland, Development Manager

Technical Director
Andrew Southern, Andrew Southern Consulting

Artist Assistants
Dino Zhang
Julieta Gill

Technical Installation Assistance
Aaron Igler and Matthew Suib, Greenhouse Media, LLC

Contractor
Matthew Kensil and Anthony Piscielli, Pennoni Associates, Inc.

Dome Fabrication
EDON Corporation

Parkway Council
Judi Rogers, Executive Director

PR Management
Anne Edgar, Anne Edgar Associates, Inc.
Sue Hamilton, Devine + Partners

Graphic Design
Eastern Standard

Photography
Jeff Fusco Photography
James Ewing Photography
Meredith Edlow

On-Site Signage
Urban Sign

Videography
Greenhouse Media, LLC
We Film Philly

Association for Public Art Interns
Kasey McCarver
Alec Rogers