Martha McDonald will perform original songs on a glass armonica at the Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia as part of 'Currents,' a new multimedia art exhibit. The show features installations by 10 local artists that animate the historic water system's underground corridors, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Works include a 3D animation timeline of the Schuylkill River by Nadia Hironaka and Matthew Suib, photographic pieces by Julianna Foster, and an installation by Taji Ra’oof Nahl addressing water and honey bees. The exhibit runs through Aug. 8.
This exhibit matters because it uses art to reframe a National Historical Landmark—the first large-scale municipal water system in the U.S.—and connects its history to contemporary environmental issues like river pollution and recovery. By embedding performances and installations in the former Kelly Natatorium pool and other once-obscure spaces, 'Currents' invites visitors to see the Water Works anew while reflecting on the Schuylkill River's past, present, and future. It also highlights the role of local artists in interpreting civic infrastructure and ecological change.