Philly City Hall to display artwork by former UArts students

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Councilmember Rue Landau says a planned City Hall exhibition of artwork by former students and faculty of the University of the Arts will “send a message” to those who decided to abruptly close the downtown art school last June.

“People are very angry about what happened in the University Arts, rightfully so,” Landau said. “This will allow them to say, ‘You harmed us and we’re mad. But look what we’re doing now. We are in City Hall and we’re going to be in other places. Shame on you.’”

Landau and Creative Philadelphia, the new name of the city’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, headed by Val Gay, have begun soliciting the UArts community to submit works that will be displayed on two floors of City Hall, likely in November. The exhibit will be called “Transcending Uncertainty: Art Endures at Home in Philadelphia.” Interested artists can use this online submission form.

The idea for the exhibition grew out of a hearing held in City Council chambers Aug. 8, when people impacted by the sudden closure of UArts had a chance to testify on record. People described disruptions to their education, career, housing and finances.

“The hearing was heartbreaking. We all had tears in our eyes,” said Landau, whose mother studied painting at UArts’ predecessor, the Philadelphia Colleges of the Arts.

“To know how many generations of folks who have graduated from there, been able to make a living with their trade, or to hone their crafts,” she said, “to have that come to a halt, to have people’s education and their employment just end immediately, is just outrageous.”