We Met Over Coffee
When we decided to partner with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program to curate art for our 11th & Locust café, we weren’t sure what to expect. We’ve always associated Mural Arts with the massive murals that make Philly’s public art scene such a stand out. How were we going to squeeze these ginormous murals in our corner café?
That’s when we learned about Mural Arts Core Mural Arts programs, which engage the Philly community with public art projects. For our latest exhibit at Saxbys 11th & Locust, we worked with the Restorative Justice Program (which provides art instruction to current inmates, probationers, parolees, and juveniles) to fill our café with stunning keepsake quilts.
Mural Arts teaching artist Monay Washington worked with the young adults in the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership Guild program, teaching color, pattern, and design to youth partners, in addition to sewing and quilting. Monay has been working with Mural Arts for nine years (she started working with the program in the tenth grade!), but this was her very first time taking on a quilting class. Inspired by her own experiences learning to sew quilts and garments, she successfully, quote, “smooth talked her way into it.”
Just looking at the quilts (and watching each student describe their work with pride), it’s clear that Monay and her students accomplished a ton in just eight short weeks. While Monay selected fabrics, her students were truly able to tell their own stories with iron-on self-portraits and the use of carefully selected African Adinkra symbols. Monay even made time in her busy teaching schedule to sew a custom quilt for a student who was expecting a child.
We chatted with Monay, Mural Arts Restorative Justice Program Director Robyn Buseman, and Mural Arts Manager of Individual and Corporate Giving Naima Murphy about the exhibit and what’s up next for Saxbys and Mural Arts.
Quilts are such a huge undertaking! What did you think when Monay first proposed the project?
Robyn: I wasn’t sure the group would take to quilting and sewing. She was so enthusiastic we gave it a try, and the results are remarkable. They worked really hard on the quilts and personalized them.
What inspired you to choose the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership Guild’s work for Saxbys?
Naima: When we announced our partnership with Saxbys, many programs in the organization were excited to get involved. While so many people associate Mural Arts with the colorful projects on buildings throughout the city, we also host a number of programs that allow for participants to use art to step outside their comfort zones, connect to their communities, and explore a new form of representation. This project is a good example of that.
Robyn: We thought this work represents the importance of art in everyone’s life, and also to have an exhibit downtown of their artwork means a lot to the participants. They were very proud. I also wanted the guests who visit the cafe to be able to see the artwork from the young people who are on probation and the talent they have.
Monay: To see their handmade quilts displayed in Saxbys…I was so proud!
How did you first hear about Saxbys?
Naima: Since I moved to Philadelphia three years ago, Saxbys have continued to pop up and have been a great destination for coffee in the city. The more I learn about the company, the more I look forward to visiting different locations.
Which Philly murals are must-sees, in your opinion?
Naima: Mural Arts has facilitated almost 3,800 murals throughout the city, so this is a hard one. Right now, these are three of my favorites that are relatively new to the city…
Aspire by Ernel Martinez at 21st and Ellsworth Streets
Untitled by Swoon at Rocket Cat Cafe at 2001 Frankford Avenue
Start From Here by Isaac Lin at 1315 Race Street
Robyn: I love the ones along 13th street downtown, between Chestnut and Locust, as well as Swoon’s murals she did last Fall at 31st and Jefferson in Strawberry Mansion. I have a lot of favorites!
Monay: Ben Volta’s mural, Micro to Macro, at Morton McMichael Elementary School in the Mantua section of Philadelphia. It’s absolutely beautiful.
The Youth Violence Reduction Partnership Guild’s quilts will be on display at Saxbys Coffee until May 1st. Starting April 3rd, the Sunday 11am Mural Mile Center City Walking Tour will be stopping at Saxbys, and you can purchase tour tickets at a discounted rate if you use the promo code SAXBYS online. For more information about Mural Arts, visit muralarts.org.