Perspectives: Hidden Voices of the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial

A walking tour exploring the history and significance of the memorial with the Association for Public Art and guest Dejay Duckett.
About this Event

What stories echo through the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial? Who was the benefactor, and what inspired a woman of her stature to create a monumental public work as part of her legacy?

For over 70 years, Philadelphians and visitors alike have walked, biked, and run along Kelly Drive, passing three striking terraces nestled along the banks of the Schuylkill River. While they are familiar landmarks within Philadelphia's cultural landscape, the terraces often go unnoticed as sites of historical inquiry. As the United States marks 250 years, The Memorial invites deeper conversation about the historical, cultural, and ideological forces that shaped its creation, and offers an opportunity to reconsider ways in which public monuments shape collective memory.

Join the Association of Public Art and guest Dejay B. Duckett – Arts Administrator, Curator, and Collections and Exhibitions Specialist – for a walking tour and conversation exploring the history and significance of the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial. Guests will examine how this remarkable monument came to be, whose stories it tells, whose voices remain hidden, and how our understanding of it continues to evolve.

Headsets are provided for all participants. Once you register, you will receive instructions on where to meet for this tour. Please reach out to [email protected] for additional questions.
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This tour is part of Public Art Decoded, the Association for Public Art's annual walking tour series. These tours are FREE and open to the public, funded, in part, through the Powering the Arts initiative. Support is provided by PECO, Team Pennsylvania, and PA Creative Industries.