Mia Cabral ‘22 | Ava Hendrickson ‘22
Beautiful artwork of multiple mediums is normally displayed in the Crawford Campus Center Gallery, but because 2020 has held many surprises and challenges, the gallery has needed to adapt to the new circumstances. Rather than avoiding the difficulties of the year, Mrs. Coote, the Gallery Coordinator, is finding ways to incorporate both COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement into the gallery.
Courtesy of Ashley Kennedy
Coote, inspired by Mural Arts Philadelphia’s project “EMERGE,” connected with the organization to bring a version of the project to EA. “EMERGE” is an artistic campaign that looks to incorporate a multitude of mediums into a central theme. The “EMERGE” team started by focusing on how the pandemic had affected their lives, but the project soon took a slight turn, as explained by Coote, “The Black Lives Matter Movement started in full force with George Floyd and they (the artists) all realized this was something that was converging for all of us and so they addressed those issues as well.”
Coote describes the “EMERGE” project and its message, saying, “I saw that they had done this campaign early on [in the summer]. They worked with poets and artists, activists, hip-hop artists, and spoken word performers who had previously mentored a group of young people who they had identified as being at-risk as far as our criminal justice system is concerned.” With Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement affecting their lives, the team working on “EMERGE” made radio public service announcements and worked with artists to create wheatpaste public art posters. The underpinning of the whole project was a message of hope and positivity. Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Mr. Tate, emphasizes the importance of EMERGE’s message, saying, “It’s making sure that people know that intersectionality is a real thing; there are different inhibitors, there are different structures and powers that are struggles for people of color primarily to get through and overcome and I think their main goal is to not only highlight that these systemic issues are real but also to show the strength and the power that isn’t often shown by the folks who are hit by these injustices.”
Coote summarized why the Crawford Gallery should be used to discuss these topics by saying, “You asked me why art was important in this mission … I would say because through the arts we express ourselves, we gain understanding and we have the opportunity to send and receive important messages.” Tate gave his opinion on the concept of the gallery, saying, “It’s a great opportunity to get this information out there and allow our community to access it and understand what “EMERGE” and the Black Lives Matter movement is actually truly about.”In order to bring the gallery to life this year, Coote is considering different ways to spread the message and share the art while incorporating community members from across EA. For the Middle School, “Ms. Tomkowich [Middle School Drama Teacher] is going to offer a series of workshops with some of the hip-hop and spoken word artists.” To bring the gallery to EA’s youngest students Coote explains that, “In the Lower School, 5th and 6th graders are also doing personal story videos.” She is also looking to incorporate Upper School groups and clubs. In regards to the Upper School Creative Writing Club, Coote says, “Hopefully they’re going to do some work as well.” Coote hopes that all students can be involved in the gallery, saying, “You don’t have to be an art student [to be involved] because it’s a great way of expressing yourself and letting the community know how you feel and developing conversations.”