Equal parts public history and public art, Funeral for a Home is the collaborative effort of artists Jacob Hellman, Billy Dufala and Steven Dufala, residents of West Philadelphia’s Mantua neighborhood, historians and community leaders, culminating with a memorial service and funeral procession set to coincide with the home’s demolition on May 31
PHILADELPHIA — Every year, nearly 600 homes are demolished in the city of Philadelphia. Each of these households represent a colorful history of family and community, and yet their demise often comes unceremoniously and goes unrecognized.
A yearlong effort to properly commemorate the long life of one such home on the brink of demolition, a modest, vacant rowhouse located at 3711 Melon St. in West Philadelphia’s Mantua neighborhood, Temple Contemporary presents the public-history-meets-public-art project Funeral for a Home(funeralforahome.org). Arranged by Temple Contemporary and designed by local artists Billy and Steven Dufala, and in collaboration with the Mantua Civic Association, Mount Vernon Manor Inc., Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Mantua Community Improvement Committee, The H.U.B. Coalition, Da Bottom 4, Play on Philly, and public historians and residents, this unprecedented project has been supported by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.