Sounds of Freedom

This summer, Philadelphia’s famed Liberty Bell will have to share some of its popularity with a nearby bell tower. As part of celebrations for the country’s 250th anniversary, artist Paul Ramírez Jonas’ interactive sculpture Let Freedom Ring will be installed at Cherry Street Pier, on the Delaware River waterfront.

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Article September 12, 2024

The piece consists of a tower with 32 bells that play all but the final note of the song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” To complete the melody, passersby pull a lever to ring the 600-pound bell at the base of the artwork—a metaphor for civic engagement and cooperation. “The only person who can finish the melody is you,” said Ramírez Jonas, in an article from the National Bell Festival. “The song, like the promise of our country, remains incomplete without participation.” Much of Ramírez Jonas’ work aims for audience interaction.  The installation includes inscriptions of partial lyrics to the song and statements meant to encourage conversation and reflection, such as “I want to be free from … ” and “I want to be free to … .” 

The sculpture was originally commissioned by Philadelphia’s Monument Lab and exhibited in 2023 in Washington, D.C., as part of the Beyond Granite exhibition on the National Mall.

Let Freedom Ring will be on display from June 4 to Sept. 27. It is presented by Philadelphia’s Association for Public Art in partnership with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation and is supported in part by a grant from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.