Fairmount Park Art Association

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 commissions, preserves, and interprets a broad range of public art accessible to everyone, anytime. Through its diverse programs and advocacy efforts, the Art Association works to promote the important role that public art plays in the creation and enhancement of civic spaces. 

Philadelphia’s preeminent collection of public art – the largest of any American city – includes historic masterworks by Alexander Milne Calder, Alexander Stirling Calder, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Frederic Remington, John J. Boyle, Daniel Chester French, and Paul Manship, and more recent sculptures by renowned artists Jacques Lipchitz, Henry Moore, Martin Puryear and Mark di Suvero. The breadth and accessibility of public art in Philadelphia is one of the city’s hallmarks and a key contributor to its quality of life.

• Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO

  Discover Philadelphia’s public art through this innovative and accessible outdoor sculpture audio program, available for free and on the street by cell phone, audio download, mobile app, or on the web. Hear professionally produced 3-4 minute interpretive audio segments that reveal the untold histories of 51 outdoor sculptures at 35 stops along the Parkway and Kelly Drive. Nearly 100 voices are featured – people from all walks of life with personal connections to the artwork.

• Public Art Map

  Visit our interactive public art map to locate or learn more about an artwork. Search by artist, title, or keyword. Find detailed descriptions, slideshows, and audio downloads.

• Conservation and Preservation

  Each spring, approximately 30 of Philadelphia’s most iconic sculptures receive professional assessment and crucial maintenance through the Art Association’s Outdoor Sculpture Conservation Program. The Conservation Program has received national recognition for its success in helping to protect the city’s public art treasures, and is the longest continuously operating conservation program of its kind in the United States.

• Sculpture Saturdays

  Free family-friendly public art programming along the Parkway. Activities include kids sculpture workshops and self-guided iPod tours.

For Adults

Membership: Members of the Art Association help support a tradition of public art excellence. They receive invitations to the Fairmount Park Art Association's Annual Meetings, which feature distinguished guest speakers such as Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen (2001), Bonnie Burnham, Director of the World Monuments Fund (2005), and Christo and Jeanne Claude (1996); notices of symposia, special events, and publications of interest; and invitations to special receptions and dedications. Membership dues and contributions are tax-deductible.  

For Kids

Sculpture Saturdays: Free family-friendly public art programming along the Parkway. Activities include kids sculpture workshops and self-guided iPod tours.

For Students, Schools/Teachers

Public Art Lesson Plans: Free public art lesson plans for 4^th and 5^th grade students are available on the Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO website. 

Kids’ Outdoor Sculpture Fun Guides: Designed for children ages 3-8 and developed as a part of our Museum Without Walls™: AUDIO program, the Outdoor Sculpture Fun Guide is full of activities and information to help engage young people with Philadelphia’s public art. Contact audio@fpaa.org to request free copies.

Admission