🎨 The case of Philly’s missing art | Morning Newsletter

Good morning, Philly. Did you see the scary smoke over Camden Friday night? I happened to spot the metal recycling facility fire while riding across the Walt Whitman Bridge, but you could see it from the city, too.

Philadelphia owns more than 1,000 public artworks. Scores are missing. Today’s top story investigates: How could a city lose its art?

And the Pennsylvania Turnpike now has open road tolling. We explain what that means for your bill — and how to avoid scams.

— Julie Zeglen ([email protected])

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Philadelphia is well known for its public art, counting over 1,000 works in its collection.

🎨 Yet dozens have been flagged as missing, according to city inventory records. That includes a stolen bronze-and-steel bear sculpture, a painted-over rec center installation, and oil paintings that disappeared from municipal buildings.

🎨 The lapse in stewardship reflects a chronic funding challenge for public arts programs nationwide, as well as a gutting of Philly’s public arts office and poor recordkeeping.

🎨 Read reporter Max Marin’s story to learn about the challenges in tracking missing works, and to see a map of Philly’s recorded lost art.

In other arts news: The Main Line’s decaying Anthony Wayne Theater could see new life thanks to a nonprofit and a younger member of the Shyamalan film family.

Driving on the turnpike east of Reading or on the Northeast Extension any time soon? You may notice more — but smaller — transactions on your bill. Fewer tollbooths, too.

In January, the Pennsylvania Turnpike launched open road tolling on Eastern Pennsylvania highways. That means all E-ZPass and toll-by-plate customers are now charged electronically every time they drive underneath gantries, the large metal beams above the roadway, instead of at toll plazas.

While these changes on your statement are legit, beware of scam texts asking you to settle unpaid tolls. The turnpike commission warns that bad actors have targeted thousands of drivers via text in recent months.

Consumer reporter Erin McCarthy explains how open road tolling works, and when the practice will begin on the rest of the state’s turnpike.

In the ongoing battle between beloved Pennsylvania convenience stores, Altoona-based Sheetz is eyeing an expansion into Wawa territory. Where is it considering building a store?

A) Montgomery County’s Limerick Township

B) Chester County’s West Chester

C) Bucks County’s Bensalem Township

D) Philadelphia’s Old City

Think you know? Check your answer.

Hint: Kensington-set Peacock thriller based on a book with the same name

ROVING BERTH GIRL

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Jody Zwick, who correctly guessed Saturday’s answer: Cooper River. A species of fish once thought gone from the southwestern New Jersey waterway has returned — in a big way.

🎶 Today’s track goes like this: “The days just seem so dark / The moon, and the stars are nothing without you.” I just discovered the 10th anniversary edition of Sam Smith’s gorgeous 2014 album In the Lonely Hour, and this version of their song “Lay Me Down” features University of Pennsylvania alum John Legend. Look hard enough, you can find a little bit of Philly anywhere.

Paola has you tomorrow morning. Enjoy your Sunday.

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