Six sites in the City of Camden will be transformed by public art
Camden received $1 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch “A New View,” which will transform sites previously associated with illegal dumping along major transportation corridors into dynamic art spaces, inspiring residents and attracting visitors.
The six sites are located in the Camden neighborhoods of North Camden, Gateway, Whitman Park, and East Camden along the PATCO Speedline, NJ Transit’s River Line, and Camden GreenWay.
“A New View” is all about envisioning a future for the city, with art playing a central role in reinforcing Camden as a place for creativity and innovation." - Camden Mayor Francisco "Frank" Moran
Site #1
INVINCIBLE CAT
by Don Kennell and Lisa Adler
Whitman Ave and West Pershing Street
 Whitman Park Neighborhood
Highly visible by PATCO ridership with a direct ground-level sightline from the train.  PATCO heads west toward Philadelphia and east toward Lindenwold. This site borders Parkside and Whitman Park neighborhoods and is comprised of a triangular grass lot with trees on the border. Houses are nearby, along Whitman and Crestmont Avenues, but vacant lots surround the site, making it a prime location for illegal dumping of electronics and other household items.
Site #2
THE BIO-INFORMATIC DIGESTER: WASTE AS FUEL FOR BIODIVERSITY
by Terreform ONE: Mitchell Joachim,
Vivian Kuan, Sky Achitoff, Iyad Abou Gaida, Mamoun Nukumanu, Nicholas Gervasi, Zach Saunders, Connor Lambrecht, Vivian Jiang, Sam Anderson, Adam Fried, Adam Cohen, Robin Stiefel, Theo Dimitrasopoulos, Ellie Derwenskus, Lisa Wood Richardson, Nina Anker
Chestnut Street & Orchard Street
Gateway Neighborhood
Now a large open field, this site holds echoes of Camden’s industrial past. The Camden Pottery Company inhabited this site from the early 1900s to the mid-20th century, and made vitreous china plumbing fixtures, known by the trade name “Capoco.” Reliable Tire Company leased the site from the mid-1960s to 1999, at which point it was left empty. It then was slowly dismantled by vandals.  A 12-alarm fire in June 2011 destroyed the factory buildings on this site, as well as other adjacent properties, including multiple houses. The wall at the back of the property belongs to a private business and was recently painted by anti-graffiti network. This site is visible from the PATCO train line.
Site #3
TURNTABLE
by Amanda Schachter & Alexander Levi, SLO Architecture
Cooper's Poynt Waterfront Park
North Camden Neighborhood
Cooper’s Poynt Waterfront Park is a scenic location, with stunning views of the Delaware River, the Philadelphia skyline, and the Ben Franklin Bridge. The site was the former location of the Riverfront State Prison, torn down in 2009 after years of public advocacy for its dissolution, and is now home to a playground and bike trail. Not a physical dumping site, this location is symbolic of Camden as a dumping ground for undesirable facilities, such as prisons.
Site #4
TOUCHING THE EARTH
by Athena Steen & Josh Sarantitis
5th and Erie Street
North Camden
This “clean and green” corner lot, along Erie Street in North Camden, faces residences and a mini-market on the other side of Erie Street. The Willows at Pyne Poynt Apartment complex, housing the Respond Inc. Senior Drop-in Center, is located diagonally across the street at 4th and Erie. The lot is lightly landscaped with wooden post fencing.
Site #5
MECHAN 11: THE COLLECTOR
by Tyler FuQua Creations
State Street Pedestrian Bridge
North Camden/Cramer Hill
The State Street Pedestrian Bridge on the Cooper River connects the North Camden and Cramer Hill neighborhoods. The steel drawbridge was constructed in 1892 and restored for pedestrian and bicycle use in 2013, incorporating architectural details from the historic movable truss bridge. A new vehicular bridge was completed in 2013 and stands alongside the pedestrian bridge. The site includes a long, narrow grass area on the east side of the bridge. A short distance across East State Street from the bridge is a large construction site, the home of the planned Cramer Hill Waterfront Park, slated to open in 2021.
Site #6
THE PHOENIX FESTIVAL
by The Myth Makers, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein
1401 Federal Street
East Camden Neighborhood
Visible from the River Line light rail train, which runs between Trenton and Camden, this site is a cleared lot located next to the picturesque Federal Street Bridge, a 1908 single-leaf bascule span over the lower Cooper River in East Camden. The lot is just off of the busy Admiral Wilson Boulevard (Route 30). On the other side of Admiral Wilson Boulevard, stand the corporate headquarters of Subaru of America and Campbell Soup Company. In 1778, General George Washington ordered the bridge at this site be demolished to slow down British soldiers who plundered the countryside around Camden when they occupied nearby Philadelphia.  A large municipal incinerator with a lofty brick smokestack was removed from this lot in 2017.