PHILADELPHIA – Building on its innovative interpretive audio program, Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO, the Fairmount Park Art Association announces “Sculpture Saturdays Presented by PNC Arts Alive,” a series of family activities that will be held along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for six consecutive Saturdays in September and October 2010. “Sculpture Saturdays Presented by PNC Arts Alive” will combine hands-on programs with mobile technologies to further engage audiences with Philadelphia’s preeminent collection of public art. There will be several simultaneous experiences for all age groups:
- Kids’ Sculpture Workshops: Each week, kids can stop by the PNC Arts Alive tent in Aviator Park (20th and the Parkway) for artist-led sculpture-making activities inspired by Philadelphia’s public art;
- Outdoor Sculpture Fun Guide and Art Kits for Kids: Children will receive a professionally illustrated kids sculpture booklet and art kit to take home;
- iPod Tours: Self-guided iPod tours of up to 15 people at a time will venture down the Parkway and Kelly Drive. Participants can borrow an iPod Touch loaded with 35 audio programs about the sculptures and will learn how to further engage with the artworks by using advanced iPod features, such as GPS mapping and messaging;
- Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO: Public art “ambassadors” will be on hand to distribute Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO maps and to help guide participants interested in experiencing the program on their cell phones, smart phones, or mp3 players.
“Sculpture Saturdays Presented by PNC Arts Alive” will bring interactive public programming to the street and meet audiences where they are – an opportunity unique to public art. By combining hands-on programs with mobile technologies, participants will not only learn more about Philadelphia’s extraordinary collection of public art (the largest of any American city), they will also become more comfortable using these new tools to explore art.
“Sculpture Saturdays Presented by PNC Arts Alive” is the programmatic component of Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO, the Fairmount Park Art Association’s new interpretive outdoor sculpture audio program, which launched in June 2010. This innovative program invites passersby to stop, look, listen, and experience public art in a new light, through professionally produced three-minute interpretive audio segments revealing untold histories at 35 stops for 51 outdoor sculptures along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Kelly Drive. The diverse narratives are told by over 100 authentic voices with personal connections to the artwork. Accessible through multiple platforms, Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO is available to the public for free on the street by cell phone, audio download, or streaming audio on the program website: www.museumwithoutwallsaudio.org.
SCULPTURE SATURDAYS PROGRAM DETAILS:
Location: Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA
- Sculpture-making Workshops take place at Aviator Park (20th and the Parkway)
- iPod Tours begin and end at Café Cret (16th and the Parkway)
Dates: Six consecutive Saturdays beginning September 11, 2010
- September 11, 18, 25 and October 2, 9, 16 (no rain dates)
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (activities are ongoing throughout the day)
Cost: FREE
Web: www.museumwithoutwallsaudio.org/sculpture-saturdays/
Sculpture Saturdays is made possible by a special grant from PNC Arts Alive. PNC Arts Alive is a five-year, $5 million investment from the PNC Foundation that supports visual and performing arts groups with the goal of increasing arts access and engagement. For more information on PNC Arts Alive and the grant recipients visit www.pncartsalive.com.
The Fairmount Park Art Association is the nation’s first private, nonprofit organization dedicated to integrating public art and urban planning. Founded in 1872, the Art Association works to promote the appreciation of public art through programs and advocacy efforts that commission, interpret, and preserve public art in Philadelphia. We serve hundreds of people directly through our commissioning and educational programs, and thousands indirectly, as they benefit from the accessibility of public art that is one of Philadelphia’s hallmarks and a key contributor to its quality of life.