John Legend and Common’s song, “Glory,” from the movie Selma brings up all sorts of powerful figures from history who stood up to fight for equality. I’m a bit obsessed with this song, so be sure to look it up. It’s wonderful. And inspiring. So this week we’re looking at inspiring people and the Civil Rights Movement.
Where: The Art Sanctuary Cost: Free Gallery Hours
The Art Sanctuary’s Gallery Program provides a changing exhibit of local, national, and international artists within the black community, focusing on the historical significance of black art and culture as well as providing a space for artists to showcase and sell their work. Richard J. Watson, an alumnus of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, is a well known Philadelphian artist – his works range from songwriting and performing, to murals seen all over the city. His works will be on display until December 30.
Tides of Freedom: African Presence on the Delaware River
When: Museum Hours Where: Independence Seaport Museum Cost: Included with Admission
Curated by University of Pennsylvania Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies, Tukufu Zuberi, Tides of Freedom: African Presences on the Delaware River explores the concept of freedom “through the lense of the African experience along the Delaware.” It features artifacts, first-person accounts, and interactive elements exploring the themes of enslavement, emancipation, Jim Crow, and civil rights as they pertain to trade along the Delaware River.
We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s-1970s
When: Museum Hours Where: Woodmere Art Museum Cost: Free with Student ID
The Woodmere Art Museum’s We Speak: Black Artists in Philadelphia, 1920s-1970s exhibit features art from between 1925, when Philadelphian Alain Locke published “The Legacy of the Ancestral Arts” which called black American artists to use their African heritage to inspire their art, and 1970, which some people consider to be the end of the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit features 14 interviews with the artists, their friends and families, art dealers, scholars, and more to provide insight into the role of art institutions in black American artist’s lives.
When: Museum Hours Where: The National Liberty Museum Cost: Included with admission
The National Liberty Museum is full of exhibits featuring exceptional people from teachers, firefighters, and other “ordinary citizens who use their voices and talents to advocate for positive change” to the more famous names we hear every day such as Jackie Robinson and Malala Yousafzai. Their current exhibits include Heroes From Around the World, featuring the achievements of 55 individuals from around the globe; Independence Starts Here: Exceptional People, which celebrates successful individuals who faced significant physical challenges; and Live Like a Hero, a gallery that honors the heroes that live among us.
