Meg Saligman presents the Ministry of Awe

Banking on it

Saligman envisions the MOA to be a place for individuals to find inspiration and to gain validation in their values. “I hope they get a bit of inspiration that they need, whatever that may be to them. I hope that they feel that their particular currency, whatever they bring here, is valued,” said Saligman.

Being the home of the first bank in the US and the United States Mint Factory, value and currency is rooted in Philadelphia history. These institutions helped establish Philadelphia as one of the country’s earliest financial centers, making the building’s transformation into an art space especially symbolic. The Ministry of Awe is no different; the space, located inside the Manufacturers National Bank built in 1870, centers many of its concepts and themes on banks.

Within the space the viewer encounters the original structures of the building including a money vault alongside fragments of a bank teller’s facial features throughout the building or murals conceptualizing different themes of values. These elements merge the building’s past with contemporary expression, turning the former financial space into something entirely new.

While the MOA is unlike any art space Philly has seen, there will be moments of familiarity to many of its viewers. As an almost homage to the city itself, the artists who curated the space intentionally included easter eggs of Philadelphia culture including motifs of birds, images of The Birds (in reference to the Philadelphia Eagles football team), cheeseteaks, and many other elements that define this city.

Saligman states that the space was always intended to be a collaborative effort of many different artists, “To me, through the art making gets a super variety of people that is one thing that is different about this. It’s not just a bunch of exhibits and different art. We are creating one thing together, or trying to.”

Through the collaborative efforts of artists, engineers and performers the space will be ever changing and constantly evolving as new works and performances are added. All those who encounter it will come across new ways to communicate through art and have an opportunity to reconceptualize value in their daily lives. The Ministry of Awe aims to be a space where creativity, technology and community intersect, encouraging visitors to think differently about what holds meaning and worth.