Art in the Open
Art in
the Open Philadelphia
(AiO) is a citywide biennial event that celebrates artists and their
inspirations for creating art in the urban environment. AiO
turns the Schuylkill River Banks into open air studios for a selected group of
juried artists to explore new working methods, develop process-oriented
projects, and respond to the intersection of urban and natural environments.
This
free, biennial event brings together civic and cultural organizations throughout the city, which offer
special programming to inspire new ways of seeing the river that has played an important role in shaping our
city’s identity.
AiO increases public engagement with art and the environment while illuminating the city’s historic, ecological, industrial and artistic connections to the river. By bringing the creative process into the civic realm, the public can see and engage the creative process in action, transcending the traditional arts viewing experience and blurring audience lines.