PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site in Fairmount has returned to normal operations for the first time since the pandemic began. With its return, the former prison has added new exhibits and tours.
DLP Mirror is an art installation is set up in Cellblock 15, also known as death row. It's the first time the public gets to go inside the historic space.
Translucent rods represent the bars of the cells while a recording of piano music plays, performed by San Antonio pianist Mark Menjivar.
"What you were hearing is a musical score that was written by a man named David Lee Powell," explained Menjivar.
"He was on Texas' death row for 32 years he was executed in 2010. David wrote this without any musical training or without access to an instrument. He was inspired by a mathematical game that Mozart used in the 1820s and he developed a rhythmic variation of an existing musical score."
Menjivar said he hopes vistors will reflect on the nearly 2,500 people on death row in the United States.
Eastern State's senior vice president Sean Kelley said the museum is bouncing back after a rough two years.
"Eastern State is open for seven days a week, plus four nights a week. We are open for 65 hours every week," he said. "If there is a museum that is open more hours than Eastern State Penitentiary, I would like to hear who that is."
Beyond the art installation, there's new content on its audio tours, narrated by actor Steve Buscemi ("Fargo," "Ghost World") and featuring the real voices of former wardens, guards and inmates.
Night Tours: Summer Twilight will also return this year with an expanded schedule and a beer garden on tap.
Another area museum has not only had to contend with the pandemic, but was uniquely positioned to observe it.
