Over the years, the Association for Public Art has published two seminal books on public art in Philadelphia, as well as catalogues for our groundbreaking projects. The following publications can be accessed at the Free Library of Philadelphia or purchased via the links below.
New•Land•Marks: public art, community, and the meaning of place
Penny Balkin Bach, Editor
Available on Amazon.com and at bookstores by special order
A catalogue that accompanied a major exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, this publication illustrates how artists and community organizations can work together to plan new works of public art for urban neighborhoods. A variety of proposals incorporate public art into ongoing community development, urban greening, public amenities, and other revitalization initiatives. Included are essays by Penny Balkin Bach, longtime Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Association for Public Art; Ellen Dissanayake; Thomas Hine; and Lucy Lippard. The book also includes site photography by James B. Abbott, sixteen detailed proposal descriptions, and a comprehensive bibliography.
Grayson Publishing, Washington, DC, 2001
$29.95 hardcover with jacket; ISBN 0-9679143-4-5
160 pages; color and b&w illus.
Public Art in Philadelphia
Penny Balkin Bach
Out of print but available online. First edition available at libraries.
Written by Penny Balkin Bach, the longtime Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Association for Public Art, this fully illustrated publication is an authoritative guide to the social and cultural history of Philadelphia’s public art. It chronicles the evolution of public art in the city from the spiritual roots of Native American culture to the pursuit of originality in the twentieth century. Its catalogue contains information about more than 200 works of art.
Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1992
Hardcover with jacket; ISBN 0-87722-822-1
288 pages; b&w illus.
Form and Function: Proposals for Public Art for Philadelphia
Fairmount Park Art Association (now the Association for Public Art)
To order: send a check for $10.00 + $5.00 shipping and handling to the Association for Public Art
A catalogue for the landmark exhibition Form and Function at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1982, this publication features public art proposals from fourteen artists, including Siah Armajani, Rafael Ferrer, Jody Pinto, and Martin Puryear. The aim was to design new works of public art that would be utilitarian, site-specific, and integral to community life in Philadelphia. The catalogue contains illustrated proposal descriptions and an introductory essay by Penny Balkin Bach.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Fairmount Park Art Association (now Association for Public Art), Philadelphia, 1982.
Softcover
44 pages; b&w illus.
Sculpture of a City: Philadelphia’s Treasures in Bronze and Stone
Fairmount Park Art Association (now the Association for Public Art)
Out of print. Available at libraries and online at Amazon.com
The Association’s centennial publication documents the history of public sculpture in Philadelphia through scholarly essays and black-and-white photography.
Walker Publishing Co., New York, 1974
Hardcover; ISBN 0-8027-0459-X
363 pages; b&w illus.