The Philadelphia Museum of Art is opening a new exhibition titled "Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments," which explores the cultural and artistic significance of the Rocky Balboa statue that sits at the museum's steps. Guest curator Paul Farber organized the show, which spans over 2,000 years of boxing imagery and includes works by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol. The exhibition marks a shift in the museum's long-standing ambivalent relationship with the statue, which was originally placed on the steps during filming of the "Rocky" movies and later relocated before returning in 2006. After the exhibition closes in August, the statue will be permanently installed at the top of the museum's steps for the first time.
The exhibition matters because it represents a major institutional reconciliation between a world-class museum and a beloved pop-culture monument that draws millions of visitors annually—about 4 million people visit the steps each year, rivaling the Liberty Bell. By placing Rocky within the broader context of art history and Philadelphia's identity, the museum acknowledges the power of public monuments and their ability to connect diverse audiences. The show also highlights how fictional characters can become real-world symbols, bridging high art and popular culture, and raises questions about how museums engage with community icons and contested public spaces.