The Our Market Project revitalizes the 9th Street Market - one of the oldest outdoor markets in the country - through public art, storytelling & community-centered programming that preserves its cultural legacy and amplifies the voices of those who make it thrive.
We celebrate the people of the Market by lifting up stories of generations of workers, (im)migrants, residents, and small business owners.
We preserve cultural memory by using public art and oral history to document and share lived experiences to remembered and honored.
We center community voices by listening to residents, vendors and local leaders who know the Market best and want to see it sustained for future generations.
We activate the public space through our art installations, lightboxes, and revitalized vendor stands to elevate the Market and invite neighbors & visitors to engage with the space in new ways.
We resist displacement by building our work that is deeply rooted in community to uplift the Market’s cultural and economic sustainability.
Our Market is American History
The South 9th Street Curb Market (popularly known as the Italian Market or La Calle Nueve) in Philadelphia was created over 100 years ago by newly arrived immigrants that collectively fought to claim space in the city. Prior to the arrival of Italian immigrants, there was already the presence of Jewish and Irish vendors, Lebanese families, and African American laborers in the Market. The Market has paved the way for many families to build a better life.
Italian, Mexican, Central American, South American, Southeast Asian, and African Americans are the mix of people that continue to contribute to the livelihood and spirit of the Market. Widening the narrative of the Market is a crucial component of the project to represent all of the layered stories that exemplify our American history.
Watch and learn more about Our Market
“Our Market” Project is led by Fiera Studios and supported with lead funding from the William Penn Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Mural Arts Program. Additional support is provided by the Hearthland Foundation, the Leeway Foundation in partnership with the Bella Vista Neighborhood Association and Philadelphia250. Past support has been provided by Visit Philly, National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Catalyst for Change Grant , Art is Essential Grant, and the Southwest Folklife Alliance.