Offering by the River

Offering by the River by artist Michael Schwartz is located at the Chew Recreation Center in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Schwartz describes the work in his artist statement:

“Offering by the River is inclusive of seven exterior walls and interior murals. The theme of the mural is ODUNDE / Oshun. Oshun is a deity coming out of the Yoruba / Nigerian tradition. She is a water deity and patron saint of the ODUNDE Festival. Oshun is also the goddess of fertility. Participants in the festival offer their blessings to Oshun by tossing fruit, flowers and money into a body of water. During the ceremony, money is passed around to sweeten up everyone’s spirit and words. The Philadelphia ODUNDE Festival was started in 1975 by Ms. Lois Fernandez – inspired by a 1971 visit to Nigeria – and is held on the second Sunday of June each year.”