Rocky Statue Gets Museum Show at Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is presenting 'Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments', an exhibition that contextualizes the iconic Rocky Balboa statue within 2,500 years of art history. The statue, cast by A. Thomas Schomberg and modeled after Sylvester Stallone, stands about 2.6 meters tall and depicts the fictional boxer with raised arms. Stallone commissioned it in 1980 for the set of 'Rocky III' (1982). After filming, Stallone donated the bronze to the city, but the PMA initially rejected it, sending it to the Spectrum sports complex and later storage. It returned to the museum steps in 2006 after a vote by the Philadelphia Art Commission. The exhibition, curated by Paul Farber, includes works by artists such as Keith Haring, Newsha Tavakolian, Bieke Depoorter, and Thomas Dworzak, exploring themes of boxing, celebrity, community, and self-invention. The show also features Stallone's personal cast of the statue, allowing one inside and one outside. The PMA's strategic plan aims to increase annual attendance to over one million visitors within five years, following a botched rebrand in 2025 and the firing of its CEO and director. The exhibition runs through 2 August.