A new art exhibit and benches featuring the work of some of its residents will be installed at Philadelphia’s Riverview Wellness Village addiction recovery center in Holmesburg.
Two butterfly-shaped sculptures made from forged steel, aluminum and enamel, as well as architectural seating made from the same materials, will be placed around a tree-lined path on the facility’s campus. Artists Margot de Messieres and Tsvetomir Naydenov will fabricate the pieces over the next year, and staff and residents will be invited to hammer symbols, messages or their initials into the metal during installations in 2027 and 2028.
The project includes three clusters of geometric aluminum seating along a pathway of granite pavers, which the artists say will resemble rippling water. The two tall sculptures, which are made with hammered copper, are meant to resemble leaves or opening wings, and feature an L-shaped bench in between for additional places to rest.
Ahead of its placement, de Messieres and Naydenov, a husband and wife team from Maryland, will host two one-month-long drawing sessions to prepare residents for the hammering session. The first installation will take place in the fall of 2027 and the second during the summer of 2028.
The project, called Turning New, is meant to provide “contemplative spaces” for staff, residents and loved ones to gather in nature.
Provided Image/Marguerite de Messieres and Tsvetomir Naydenov
The Turning New project at Riverview Wellness Village includes multiple seating clusters.
Creative Philadelphia held an open call for artists last year from August to September and received 141 submissions. From there, three finalists were asked to submit proposals to the Percent for Art Committee made up of community members, artists and officials from the Capital Program Office, City Council District 6 office and Creative Philadelphia. The artists connected with Riverview residents through in-person and online community engagement meetings and public surveys for input and inspiration for the design.
Creative Philadelphia said Turning New was ultimately chosen because it integrated sculpture, landscape and community participation.
“We are so grateful to the artists, committee, and Riverview community, all of whom collaborated to make this thoughtful design possible,” Val Gay, chief cultural officer and executive director of Creative Philadelphia, said in a statement. “Once installed, this public art will not just be beautiful, but functional, encouraging moments of reflection and togetherness.”
Riverview Wellness Village, which opened in January 2025, is an addiction recovery housing complex with over 300 beds located on a 20-acre site near Pennypack along the Delaware River. Residents can live at the facility for up to one year, and can only move in after completing a 30-, 60- or 90-day inpatient program or intensive outpatient program.
According to Creative Philadelphia, the project fulfills a city ordinance which says that 1% of the budget for city construction projects must go toward public art specific to the site.
