FRESH FRIDAY | INSIDE OUT

After a very successful season last year, the Philadelphia Museum of Art in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia continued their public art program, Inside Out.  The popular program showcases the museum's most famous pieces on the streets of Philadelphia and allows residents and tourists alike to get a taste of the art outside the museum walls. 

The program produces high-quality reproductions of masterpieces from the museum's permanent collection that are then added to the sides of businesses, signs, and street corners. The outdoor display is featured throughout the neighborhoods and includes artists such as Andy Warhol, Vincent van Gogh, and Georgia O'Keefe. With multiple cycles of works being featured, Philadelphia Museum of Art provides maps of the areas with the work, as a kind of art scavenger hunt, leading viewers to a variety of locations throughout the city.

A notable feature of each piece is the presentation. Rather than hanging the work as a mural or banner, each piece is framed and hung, exactly as they would be on gallery walls. This small detail brings intention to the program and creates a similar space and exercise that would take place inside, to the outside arena. The same slow viewing and reflection can now take place on a city street while being surrounded by the bustling of life. This concept of taking something special and bringing it to everyday life offers the opportunity for anyone to be inspired. 

Following a successful season last year, Inside Out and its programming expanded this year, covering more city streets and businesses and allowing residents to experience a larger body of work for a longer period of time. In doing so, Philadelphia continues to set a precedent for unique art experiences in the public sphere. 

Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art.