A new installation tonight from Joe Boruchow holds a light up to the Union League of Philadelphia. Titled, The Union League of Philadelphia, 2019, the piece has been installed over a bus shelter ad at Broad and Spruce streets on the Avenue of the Arts.
So, pretty much every time I walk by the Union League building I get a little eye roll-y. The Union League is easily one of our city’s most prominent, outward displays of generational wealth and privilege. The building is always flanked by what looks to be some of Philly’s most affluent citizens. Even the few times I’ve gone to see the Mummers Parade on New Year’s Day and walked down South Broad street, I’ve always took notice that you can walk for blocks and blocks and blocks passing countless people bundled up and generally dressed (if they’re not a Mummer themselves) in “regular” clothes like jeans, sweatpants, sweaters, winter coats, and the such; but when you walk by the Union League you’d see their stairs neatly packed with suits and tuxes holding cocktails and champagne glasses. It just makes me cringe! I remember the first Mummers Parade I walked by this display I literally felt like I was one of Leonardo Dicaprio’s (aka Jack Dawson) friends on the Titanic headed to steerage walking by First Class. And it’s, of course, much more than the looks of it. Whenever a national Republican candidate comes to Philly to raise money, they head straight to the Union League. Mike Pence’s 2018 visit is probably the latest example of that. The Union League has always felt to me like a gross building full of systemically rich people looking to protect their generational money from, I guess, being taxed fairly.
Needless to say, when brilliant Philly street artist, Joe Boruchow, texted me tonight that he had just installed a piece about the Union League and that he installed it within eyesight of the Union League, I was excited to go photograph it! This type of installation, if you’re not familiar, is typically called an “ad takeover,” and you can read much more about how it got started and see other Philly artists who’ve done them over the years by clicking here.
To explain more about the inspiration and thought behind his Union League installation, Joe emailed me the following:
“I first started thinking about this piece in the early days of the Trump Administration, when I participated in a bunch of marches and rallies protesting the president and his administration when they visited Philly. When marching, we would almost always pass the grand, Second Empire, the Union League of Philadelphia. Practically no one noticed that there on the balconies and in the windows, chomping on cigars and derisively smirking, were the objects of our outrage delighted by the spectacle of their vanquished subjects passing before them unaware.”
“So, my fellow irate Philadelphians, the titans of industry, polluters, and tax shirkers that make specious claims to be of the party of Lincoln but are really the party of Trump, birtherism, and white male supremacy – they have a club. Right downtown. At Broad and Sansom… Their motto in latin is ‘Amor Patriae Ducit’ or ‘Love of Country Leads,’ but I changed it to Amor Pecunia Ducit – Love of Money Leads.”
If you like Joe’s work and want to show your support, he’s created a limited run of zip-up hoodies with this Union League design. You can purchase those on his Big Cartel here! Joe will be donating $5 from each sweatshirt purchase to Emerge America, a program that helps elect democratic women. Love it, Joe!
See more of Joe Boruchow’s work around Philly here!
Streets Dept 
Leave a reply to murcuryvapor@gmail.com Cancel reply