Inside Out: Phila. Museum Of Art To Display Reproductions Of Artworks In Neighborhoods Throughout The Region
By Todd Quinones
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- If the paintings grab your attention, but look a bit out of place, that's the point.
Call it spontaneous encounters with masterpieces on Main Street.
Whether it's in Newtown, Bucks County, Media, Delaware County or Haddonfield, New Jersey where Claude Monet's Poplars can be seen in front of the high school.
"I hope it will make people curious," said Philadelphia Museum of Art associate curator Mark Mitchell
Mitchell likes this piece, titled Pichincha by artist Fredrick Edwin Church.
(Reporter:) "What makes this painting special?"
This painting is sort of a summation of landscaping in America, which is the first school of American Art," said Mitchell.
That piece of art history now sits outside Haddonfield's Borough Hall.
It all part of the Museum's new Inside Out installations.
The whole idea of the project is to bring paintings from inside the Art Museum outdoors and put them in places people would not expect.
Original works of art that hang in the Philadelphia Museum of Art are turned into high quality reproductions that are being placed outside.
"They are photographs that were printed and them framed with the museum quality frame, and varnished so they are totally safe for outdoor use," said Project Coordinator Gina Ciralli.
A total of five communities including South Philadelphia and Mt. Airy are getting the installations.
"By May 15th, all five communities will be installed. Each community will get about 12 works of art and those works of art will be up for three months," said Art Museum Special Projects Manager Katy Friedland.
Inside Out will then move to five other neighborhoods in the Fall.
For more information, visit: http://www.philamuseum.org/insideout