PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A month of events celebrating Black history has begun at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the Black Artists, Black Stories Family Festival, a fun way for kids to learn about and celebrate Black artists.
On a recent visit, Thembi Palmer was leading a group of children and their parents in an interactive storytelling session within the museum's "Of God and Country" exhibit.
"Down on Elijah's farm he has a big, pink pig. The pig makes the sound like this —," Palmer said.
The kids called back: "Oink, oink!"
The artist Palmer showcased was Elijah Pierce, a Black wood carver whose work is featured in the exhibit.
"I loved his wood carvings and the colors and the stories behind it, and because he was specifically intentional about telling stories through his work of art and because I am a storyteller I kind of resonated with that," Palmer said.
Pierce was one of three Black artists celebrated during the festival. The others were Moses Williams and Sister Gertrude Morgan.
Like Palmer's exploration of Pierce's work, their work also was also accompanied by an activity for kids and their families to explore.
Colleen Pickup was one of the educators behind the silhouette activity created to highlight Williams' work.
"Representation matters, and I think as an institution in Philadelphia, we need to be thinking about our community more in this museum, and how we represent the people who live here."
There are more activities for kids and families listed on the Art Museum's website.
