Philadelphia Praise Center

Philadelphia Praise Center was created in collaboration with the with Asian community settling in South Philadelphia. The church’s multilingual congregation, whose members speak Indonesian, Chin Burmese, Vietnamese, English, and Spanish, wanted the mural to promote unity and to highlight the diversity of the South Philadelphia neighborhood. Congregants chose images of the landscane and familiar foods as a reminder of things left behind. At the same time, the mural becomes a way of inviting the surrounding community to join the congregation.

Artist Parris Stancell was approached by the pastor of the Center to create a mural depicting the many cultures in South Philadelphia where the church is located. Parishioners wanted the church to be an inviting place for all in the community to be welcomed, regardless of religion.

The landscape invokes different representations of former homelands. Food and prepared dishes at bottom are a symbol of breaking bread and sharing with all. The dove is a symbol of peace.