Love is the Message

Celebrated documentary photographer Jamel Shabazz’s Love Is the Message pays tribute to African American veterans and their families against the backdrop of Germantown’s historic Vernon Park. Shabazz, a US military veteran, served alongside men from Philadelphia when he served abroad in the 1970s and had long planned a tribute to their service, style, and resilience. Through collaborations with partners including Friends of Vernon Park, the Aces Museum, the Black Writers Museum, and iMPeRFeCT Gallery, among others, Shabazz’s portraits of veterans and neighborhood residents are featured on a mural near Vernon Park on Germantown Avenue. The mural is modeled after a keepsake photo frame, and features select images of veterans and residents alongside monumental figures and artworks in the neighborhood. From Memorial Day to Veterans Day in 2017, Shabazz conducted several pop-up photo sessions welcoming veterans, neighborhood residents, and other visitors for free printed portraits. Although the mural is temporary, it will remain installed for the year following the Monument Lab exhibition.

Collaborators: Brands Imaging, Rocio Cabello and Renny Molenaar and iMPeRFeCT Gallery, Malachi Floyd, Dr. Althea Hankins and Aces Museum, Marcus Hines, and Supreme Dow and Black Writers Museum.

Major support for Monument Lab projects staged in Philadelphia’s five squares provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. An expanded artist roster and projects at additional neighborhood sites made possible by the William Penn Foundation. Lead corporate support provided by Bank of America. Generous additional support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Location Note: Mural is no longer on view at this location.