Philadelphia Official Says City Needs To Keep Better Track Of Its Public Art
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A city official says Philadelphia needs to keep better track of its public artwork.
Controller Alan Butkovitz says a random sample of 25 pieces found that half were either damaged, vandalized, could not be located or had other inventory issues.
Philadelphia cares for more than 1,000 paintings, murals and sculptures. Public art director Margot Berg says her office does the best it can with limited resources.
The controller's audit released Wednesday found graffiti on sculptures, holes drilled in a watercolor painting and tiles missing from a mosaic mural.
The report also indicates that arts officials have not conducted periodic inspections of the collection in more than a decade.
Berg notes the artwork is spread across the city both indoors and outdoors. She says conservators address problems as they become known.
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