Supporting and Promoting the Arts at the University of Pennsylvania
Award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will deliver the address at the 2020 University of Pennsylvania Commencement on Monday, May 18. “We are honored to bestow our highest degree on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and have her address our graduates at Penn’s 264th Commencement,” said President Amy Gutmann. “Her compelling narratives and absolutely fascinating commentary on complex cultural issues elevate the power of the individual voice.”
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February 13, 2020
Excerpt: Randy Mason on Valuing Traumatic Heritage
In an essay in the newly-published volume Values in Heritage Management: Emerging Approaches and Research Directions (Getty Conservation Institute, 2019), Randall Mason, an associate professor in the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, explains how Philadelphia’s iconic Eastern State Penitentiary is both an archive of past events and agent of contemporary social change. Mason co-edited the volume with Erica Avrami, Susan MacDonald, and David Myers.
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February 13, 2020
Archive of Pioneering Author and Artist Comes to Penn Libraries
The collection of Ashley Bryan’s work includes thousands of pieces of art, correspondence, photos, manuscripts, and books. A small exhibition of his collection is now on display at the Libraries, and a major symposium and exhibition are expected in 2022.
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February 13, 2020
Penn Today Features “Designs for Different Futures”
The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Designs for Different Futures” exhibition, which is up through March 8, includes contributions and installations from several Penn faculty and alumni. The exhibition is organized into 11 sections: Resources, Generations, Earths, Bodies, Intimacies, Foods, Jobs, Cities, Materials, Power, and Data.
With the exception of Ben Art Bucks, The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation’s 2020 Grant Cycle is now closed. We will announce the 2020 grant recipients in April. The 2021 grant cycle will open in September. Please sign up for our newsletter to stay informed of important deadlines.
The Sachs Program’s grantmaking supports innovative arts activities throughout the Penn community, providing funding to Penn faculty, staff, students, departments, programs, and centers. Our vision is that the arts at Penn are valued and embraced as a creative catalyst, driving innovation, inspiration, and action.
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Sunday February 16MUMMENSCHANZ: Visual Performance at the Annenberg
Theatrical whimsy meets silent storytelling in the uber creative Swiss troupe MUMMENSCHANZ. In this brand new show, these “dazzling and delightful” musicians of silence take everyday objects and transform them into simple yet stunning shapes and forms, sparking true wonder in audiences of all ages. Bring the whole family for this visual spectacle!
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Wednesday February 19Michel Rojkind Architectural Lecture on Shared Responsibility
Michel Rojkind is the Senior Vice President of Architecture at WeWork and founding principal of Rojkind Arquitectos. In 2002 he founded Rojkind Arquitectos to explore new challenges addressing contemporary society, to design compelling experiences that go beyond mere functionality, and to connect the intricacies of each project at a deeper level. This event is free and open to the public. Reception to follow.
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Wednesday February 19Artist Talk with Penn Professor Orkan Telhan at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Artist and biological designer Orkan Telhan explores the different roles microorganisms can play for shaping the future of the human diet. This event is offered in conjunction with the exhibition Designs for Different Futures. This exhibition is a Journey through an electrifying landscape of designs that respond to the future in surprising, ingenious, and occasionally unsettling ways. From daring flights of imagination to products already on the market, the works on view explore what lies ahead for the earth and its inhabitants—through the interplay of design, art, science, and technology.
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Thursday February 20We Are the Storm: Activist Poster Art by Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative at Fisher Fine Arts Library
Common Press is pleased to present an exhibit of activist poster art by the Justseeds Artists' Cooperative this Winter 2020. With a focus on climate justice and migration, the exhibit highlights political graphics intended to inspire action, raise awareness, and support social, environmental, and political engagement.
The Penn Cultural Heritage Center and Perry World House present a keynote address with artist Michael Rakowitz, the 2020 Nasher Sculpture Prize Laureate and Professor of Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern University. He will speak on several projects spanning the past 20 years that engage with issues of displacement, disappearance, and reappearance, including his ongoing series on the pillaging of Iraq's cultural sites, titled The invisible enemy should not exist.
The Sachs Program for Arts Innovation’s 2019 SHIP Intern, Tias Volker (C ’21), developed a map that highlights arts resources and centers across Penn’s campus. While not every resource could be included, The Sachs Program encourages you to use this map to explore the breadth of arts offerings at Penn.