New art exhibit at Philadelphia Intl. Airport is memorial for mercy and justice
Philadelphia is open for business and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is doing its part to give a warm welcome to arriving passengers and anyone just passing through.
This weekend, PHL became the second U.S. airport to receive flights carrying U.S. citizens and Afghan refugees fleeing Afghanistan.
Earlier in the week, the airport debuted its newest temporary art exhibition, “Fans of Homage,” featuring church style-inspired fans made by Ife Nii Owoo. The fans, which have thick wooden handles and exquisitely decorated blades, are designed to heighten awareness of issues faced by Black Americans and are also a call for justice.
“I have used the fan as a medium or shape to record family memories, speak against Jim Crow, and call for mercy and justice,” explains Owoo.
The Philadelphia-based Owoo says she uses the fan shape as her as a medium in part because “the form is associated with African spirituality and a way to keep cool while ‘praising the lord.’ I have taken this form to create a spirit of memory, they are amulets of protection and offer me the opportunity to work outside of traditional canvas squares and golden rectangle.”
For the PHL exhibit, Owoo is presenting 20 of the intricate fans she meticulously creates with everything from hand-painted watercolor paper, photo-based images and monoprints to recycled objects. The works date back to 2010 and include the moving 10-piece “Amazing Grace” series Owoo created as a permanent, moveable memorial to the mass shooting that killed nine African Americans in the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2015 — Clementa C. Pinckney, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel L. Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson.
“The fan's symbolism evokes memories of my great aunts on a hot summer day, fanning away discomfort while praying at my grandmother's funeral,” says Owoo.
Related: 5 destinations where you can learn about Black history in America
Owoo created her first fan in 2007, in honor of Phylis Wheatly (also spelled Phillis Wheatley), the first African American to publish a book of poems and views her fans “as a platform to create a spirit of memory and amulets of protection.” In addition to these fans, Owoo works on traditional canvases, on found objects, collages and shaped paintings, and public art commissions. She is also the author of a “A is for Africa,” an alphabet picture book filled with colorful watercolors and graphic illustrations created as an alternative to the negative or highly romanticized images of Africa and Africans in the '70s and '80s.
PHL’s art program is actively managed and includes a wide variety of temporary exhibitions by local artists, many of whom are taking the opportunity to share with the traveling public very personal work that is influenced by recent events happening throughout the country and the world. Examples include “Fill the Walls with Hope” by Mark Strandquist, and Carole Loeffler’s “Granny Graffiti,” which uses vintage doilies as canvases for positive notes.
Related: These 7 airports have such stunning artwork, they’re like museums
Leah Douglas, PHL’s director of guest experience development and art program curators, says the two exhibits “not only brighten our terminals with beautiful artwork, they provide the words of encouragement many people need to see and hear right now.” Another exhibit, “Plastic Galactic,” is about “recycling and as a continual and unending re-creation, set in the context of astrological and geologic time frames,” says the artist, Simone Spicer, and include approximately 2,500 salvaged single use-containers that Spicer collected.
“The challenges of the last year have been unprecedented, from the pandemic to civil unrest and social injustice,” said Douglas, “The exhibitions are one way that the airport can amplify the City's creative community and its unique cultural life to millions of guests from around the world."
Related: Philadelphia is open for business: Here’s what you need to know to plan a trip
All images courtesy of the Philadelphia International Airport.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.