Today, a continent away, the Pennsylvania river and its banks are both the setting and the subject. Participating artists are encouraged to use the site as inspiration for their works.
The concept as envisioned at last year's inaugural for AiO was to bring the creators, their process, and the public together, minus walls or barriers.
The event is the brainchild of three local artists and art activists:
Mary Salvante, an independent artist and art curator, is gallery and exhibitions program director for Rowan University Art Gallery in Glassboro.
An award-winning Philadelphia architect, Ed Bronstein shifted gears after three decades and became a widely exhibited working artist.
And Deenah Loeb, who leads the City Parks Association, is known internationally for her innovative environmental and cultural programs.
"We all want visitors to discover Philadelphia's urban richness, to let them engage with artists, and even to participate in their projects in some instances," says Salvante, who spoke for the three founders. "We're encouraging artists to look at the outdoors as a kind of canvas."
That encouragement definitely ignited Brian Dennis' artistic spirit. The Philadelphia artist is usually quite private, working in his studio without audience. "So this concept was a big leap for me," says Dennis, who is turning his long fascination with the engineering aspects of the Philadelphia Water Works into an installation that will replicate it in miniature.
Dennis hopes to share a network of miniature scaffolding, catwalks, ladders, and platforms with the public, using 20,000 coffee stirrers that he has been gluing together for weeks in his home studio. The final piece will be made on site with those stirrers, along with gold leaf, wood, and black glue.
