Hello all!
This is Amani, back again to tell you about PAFA’s Beyond the Paint. This huge exhibit has so much to offer, it couldn’t be completely covered in one blog post!
Beyond the Paint shows how the Mural Arts Program bridges cultural gaps in communities. There are written testimonials on the wall from participants in the program, but some are in a beautiful Burmese script. A few steps later, you find yourself in a cranny of the exhibit called “Southeast by Southeast”. It is a collage of photographs, art and school work of immigrants from Southeast Asia. This installation itself, is an ongoing mural.
A library, with books and a place to relax and read, is in the middle of exhibit. There are also pencils and flashcards (to draw, to leave, to take notes). The books, like other integral sections of the installation, are thought-provoking. Art has the power to change a community, to mean something. This exhibit allows us to see how art that we take for granted, that we’ve looked at for a majority of our lives, took roots and came to be. It gives a voice and context to people who’ve turned empty lots into a landmark.
There are Philadelphian references to work, as well as ones from all over the world. A wall towards the back shows forms of protest, how people have in a way become a mural of their own. This wall is organized giving context of the who, why, what, and where these demonstrations took place. Connect to the world around you.
If you haven’t already checked out this exhibit, I seriously think you should. Grab a friend on a day when you have an hour to spare: before shopping, or lunch, after school etc. This exhibit will be here until April!
READY TO VISIT PAFA? Check out the PAFA profile page for the hours you can use your STAMP pass!
Come to STAMP Day @ PAFA on Friday, February 14th! Art, food, music and more–all FREE! Click here to sign up.
This post was written by Amani Bey, a STAMP Teen Council member. Amani attends Science Leadership Academy.