Manufacturers National Bank to open as the Ministry of Awe in March
The new permanent cultural attraction will be a 8,500-square-foot installation full of art, sculpture, murals, and more.
The historic Old City Manufacturers National Bank is under construction, set to become a six-story arts venue opening in March.
Called the Ministry of Awe, the 8,500-square-foot venue will be an immersive installation, showcasing dozens of performance artists, paintings, and interactive sculptures.
A team of more than 100 Philadelphia artists are collaborating to bring the cultural attraction to life, led by renowned muralist Meg Saligman. Calling herself the bank president, Saligman founded the Ministry of Awe in 2022 as a nonprofit dedicated to reviving the vacant building and creating an arts venue with work that riffs on the bank theme.
“We don’t trade in money, we trade in human essence,” said Saligman, who lives in Penn’s Landing. “So in this bank, we’re going to explore different [questions]. What do we make of our value systems? What do we make of what is truly important to us in life? In no way do we think money is not important, but we do think that’s for other banks to handle … In the ministry, your account is your story. What do you trade in?”
The building had been closed to the public for decades before Saligman created her first pop-up installation, “Make Bank,” in 2023 as part of the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.
Saligman likes to say that the building found her and that she discovered the Ministry of Awe was already inside. It’s part of the fictional lore she has created around the ministry as “an entity that’s been around since the beginning of time” in locations around the world.
She purchased the 19th-century bank in 2022 for $1.65 million, which she covered by selling two of her garage studios in South Philly. She received funding support from the city, the state, and the federal government and, about a year ago, KMC Partners began renovating the interior.
The historic vault and much of the architectural structure remain intact, but soon the walls will be covered in murals. There will be a room that serves as a giant music box while other sections will invite guests to paint and draw, contributing their own designs. One room is designated for counterfeiting, where participants can forge signatures from historical figures like John Hancock.
Saligman is working with research and design studio Spatial Pixel to create an artificial intelligence experience where, for instance, a painting appears to change in reaction to visitors’ behavior.
“There will be actors throughout the building who will all bring this work of visual art alive with you,” said Saligman. “There’s a teller that smells you. You will walk through and be delighted and surprised along the way.”
The space will welcome visitors to “wonder and wander,” she added, as they can dig through bank teller’s drawers and find a scavenger hunt-like activity as they piece together the ministry’s magical and mysterious history.
“I think a goal is definitely to uncover secrets, experience the mystery, and most importantly, exchange with artists and each other,” she said. “As an artist, I see our lives becoming more and more individuals on individual screens, so we’re very fortunate to be opening a new work of art at this time where we can perhaps do something to bring people together.”
The Ministry of Awe, 27 N. 3rd Street, is scheduled to open to the public on March 14, 2026. Timed-entry tickets available to purchase in January at moaphilly.org.