Philadelphia Stories

 [General Louis Wagner Middle School students at the Delphi After School Art Club at the
 Philadelphia Museum of Art. Image courtesy the museum.] 

This summer, if you find yourself flying into Philadelphia International Airport and retrieving some checked bags (Terminal A-East Baggage Claim), look up and you may notice something different on the walls. Something fresh: an installation of mini-murals by young participants in the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Delphi After School Art Club. Paul Klee’s famous words, “A line is a dot that went for a walk…” served as a jumping off point for the project along with the museum's permanent collection.

Hand-stitching, printmaking, and collage were among the techniques the middle school students used during their 19-week program. In addition to instruction from teaching artists, the kids were able to experience gallery tours and conservation science demonstrations.

[Catalogue from a 2006 show.] 

While we're on the PMoA, a quick reminder: Craft Spoken Here continues through August 12 and, as always, the museum has a very strong permanent textiles collection with holdings ranging from numerous Indian folk embroideries to Princess Grace's wedding dress (that's right, she donated it to the institution).