“Key to the City”

What if anyone could decide who receives a Key to the City? What if everyone — not just the chosen few — could be recognized and given a key that could access dozens of spaces around a city? And what if a more diverse group of citizens, viewing all those spaces together, created a new portrait of a city?

“Key to the City” is a project that turned these “what if” scenarios into reality.

During the summer of 2022 in Birmingham and 2010 in New York City, anyone was able to award the Key to the City to whomever they wanted, for whatever reason they wanted. No background checks were necessary, all previous sins were to be overlooked, and all doors were unlocked. For a limited time, tens of thousands of key holders were able to explore private and intriguing places and spaces that they might not have happened on before — bringing a new perspective to the city.