Overview

An exploration of the impact and cultural significance of the legendary Rocky statue located at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps Fifty years after the premiere of the original Rocky movie, the legacy of the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa endures, as millions of people visit the Rocky statue located outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art each year. Commemorating the most famous Philadelphian who never lived, the landmark has become a monument with its own cultural mystique. In Rising Up, Paul Farber and a diverse group of scholars, cultural figures, literary critics, and artists tell the stories around the statue—of immigrant neighborhoods, Philadelphia's Black boxing legends, the fight for the future of public spaces, and the changing meanings of monuments today. These stories reveal how our monuments reflect civic power and historical identity while raising questions about social belonging. Recalling Rocky's story of going the distance, Rising Up also asks why we root for underdogs, untangling the dualities of struggle and triumph, vulnerability and strength, and strife and solidarity embodied in the iconic statue. Distributed for the Philadelphia Museum of Art Exhibition Schedule: Philadelphia Museum of Art (April 25–August 2, 2026)

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Paul M. Farber is director and co-founder of Monument Lab and host of the podcast The Statue on NPR/WHYY.

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