In Philadelphia there is a growing awareness that in order to ensure a healthy city, we must recognize and support communities experiencing immigration, provide resources to newcomers to Philadelphia, and create opportunities for sharing skills, strengths, and talents among community members. The Mural Arts Porch Light Program is proud to contribute to these important efforts through a participatory public art project called Southeast by Southeast. Southeast by Southeast mines the power of participatory public art to cultivate deep community connections, illuminate new ways to understand and address city-wide challenges, and highlight community strengths, capacity, and assets. Southeast by Southeast celebrates the diversity and resilience of new immigrants from all over the world, focusing on South Philadelphia’s growing Bhutanese and Burmese communities.
This State of Young Philadelphia event, hosted by the Mural Arts Young Friends Collective, will begin with a brief discussion of the Southeast by Southeast project and the issues that refugees have faced that have brought them to Philadelphia, as well as some of the issues that face them today. In addition, event participants will have an opportunity to screen print tote bags with Burmese, Bhutanese and Nepali inspired designs, as well as sample Burmese foods and view (with the opportunity to purchase) traditionally woven bags and garments. To conclude, the group will take a walking tour around the neighborhood to look at the murals that have been created through this project, as well as other cultural landmarks nearby. This event is limited to 30 participants.