Public Heart
Spring 2017
Film Synopsis: In this short documentary, two female public artists in Philadelphia describe what the importance of public art means to them. Although they practice radically different kinds of public art, the similarities between how they conceptualize public art are apparent.
Director’s Statement: This year at Swarthmore College, I wrote my Senior Sociology & Anthropology thesis about murals, street art, graffiti, and the politics of public space in Philadelphia. During the months I spent researching and writing about public art in Philadelphia, I decided I also wanted to make something that would show some of my insights and aspects of the Philadelphia public art community in a visual way. I also chose to interview two female public artists in order to highlight women in a male-dominated field, but rather than focus the documentary on what it is like to be a female public artist, I focused it on the importance of public art in public space.
Technical Specifications: 1920x1080, 29.97 frames/second, HD, 48000 Hz
Featuring: Aubrie Costello and Michelle A. Ortiz
Produced, directed, and edited by Claudia Romano
