Exhibits & Events

Join aPA for an Opening Reception celebrating Rachel Hsu’s The Weight of Our Living at Maja Park on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The reception will take place at The Oar Pub in Park Towne Place Museum District Residences, South Tower, on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 6:00pm.

Enjoy complimentary light refreshments, hear brief remarks about the inspiration for the artwork, and explore the new installation.

This event is free, but registration is required.‍

THE WEIGHT OF OUR LIVING‍

The Association for Public Art (aPA) and the Parkway Council present a new temporary public artwork by Philadelphia-based artist Rachel Hsu in Maja Park. The Weight of Our Living is inspired by reflexology footpaths in Taiwan’s public parks, Hsu'sinstallation invites the public to embark on a tactile and meditative journey. Visitors are encouraged to remove their shoes before traversing an undulating surface of river stones. This grounding, restorative installation that blends public art and wellness encourages us to slow down and be mindful of our bodies in space.

The artwork was the selected proposal for Art on the Parkway, a juried competition co-organized by the Association for Public Art (aPA) and the Parkway Council, in partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PPR). Support for the project was provided, in part, by AIR Communities/Park Towne Place and Prudent Management Associates.‍

ART ON THE PARKWAY was open exclusively to artists and designers living or working in the Philadelphia area, invited proposals that explore the ways art can help create and define a sense of place; celebrate the Parkway’s historic built environment; and explore its future as a more inclusive and vibrant public space for all Philadelphians.