June 17, 2025
Provided image/Melissa Kelly
Philadelphia mural artist Meg Saligman poses inside the vault at the former Manufacturers' National Bank building. Her artist collective, Ministry of Awe, plans to launch a new project there in 2026.
A historic building in Old City will transform into an 8,500-square-foot "living work of art" for America's 250th birthday.
Mural artist Meg Saligman teased details on an upcoming project inside the former Manufacturers' National Bank, at 27 N. Third St, during a press conference Tuesday. "Ministry of Awe" will feature sculptures, murals, soundscapes and performance art across six stories. The art will play on the building's past life by challenging "conceptions of value, exchange and humanity," Saligman said.
"We’re creating a living, walkable piece of art that’s deeply rooted in Philly’s rich history, right in the birthplace of American democracy and finance," she continued.
The Ministry of Awe will open in 2026, though a more specific launch date has not yet been announced. According to Saligman, the art space will welcome visitors six days a week.
Saligman, known for the "Bird Feed" mural of a bald eagle with Tom Brady ensnared in its talons and other public art pieces, leads a collective of artists, also called the Ministry of Awe, that owns the 19th century building. Manufacturers' National Bank moved into the space in 1870, but it had fallen into disrepair after the company's exit. The building had been closed to the public for 38 years when Ministry of Awe mounted a Philadelphia Fringe Festival show there in 2023.
The organization has pledged to preserve the original art and architecture of the former bank, including its vault, while updating the space. Behind-the-scenes video shows some distinctly modern murals already on the walls. Visitors can also expect interactive installations, like a counterfeiting studio and a two-story nest, when the Ministry of Awe officially opens.
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