Historic Old City bank will soon house an immersive multi-disciplinary art experience

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A historic bank in Old City is being transformed into an immersive multi-disciplinary art experience.

A wall-breaking ceremony took place last week at the 19th-century Manufacturer's National Bank along North 3rd Street. There was a shower of fake money, a bank burglar aerialist dangling from the rafters, and actors portraying bank tellers who doubled as fortune tellers giving just a taste of what the Ministry of Awe or MoA Bank will be like once it opens.

Artist Meg Saligman is the so-called bank president. She says the six-story space will have murals, interactive performances, soundscapes, storytelling and more, with hopes it will spark conversation and self-assessment.

"I guess all of our art is our own unique currency,” she said. “What do you care about? What are you good at? What can you make? What can you make out of this life? How are you spending your life?"

MoA Bank will open to the public at the end of 2025. Saligman says it will be full of imagination, delight and inspiration.

“You will walk into the bank, there will be murals, there will be sculptures, sound landscapes, there will be places to experiment with AI, there will be analog bank machines — so there will be a lot to participate and explore,” Saligman said.