Recapping Artist Hunter Franks' Visit to the Porch at 30th Street

In August, artist Hunter Franks earned a grant from the Knight Foundation to embark on a four-city tour with the goal of finding innovative and creative ways to engage communities by fostering connections among people who ordinarily might have little contact with each other. Included among the four cities Franks visited was a three-week stint in Philadelphia. While here, Franks partnered with both the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and us here at UCD for two projects in West Philadelphia.

Franks’ work with UCD was entitled “Museum of You” and engaged visitors to the Porch at 30th Street Station. Franks hung strings of fabric across the space and encouraged people to share stories on pieces of cloth about objects they held dear. Over the three days the installation was in place, fifty people participated. The objects they chose to highlight ranged from vehicles of self-expression like journals or sketch books to practical objects like their keys or phones to more whimsical appreciations like their favorite burrito. The idea, Franks said, was “to hear people’s stories—to hear what’s important to them” while at the same time encouraging them to “think about common objects in a new light and to imagine their public space a little differently.”

Franks’ work tied in with some of UCD’s greater goals, especially those tied to our work with public spaces. “We’re always looking to bring life to a public space,” says Nate Hommel, our Capital Projects Manager. “We aim to make people forget for a moment they’re in this crazy busy world. It’s why we offer lush plantings and seats at the Porch—we try to capture the thousands of people who normally wouldn’t stop or slow down, and the Museum of You was a great way of doing this.”

To read about the rest of Franks’ tour, including the work he did in the Belmont section of West Philadelphia, head here. Stay tuned for more great public projects from UCD!