We Here

We Here: A Story in Every Sculpture

We Here offered an immersive artistic journey with workshops and public programs throughout the project. During Fall 2023, a series of community workshops in Kensington generated dozens of unique pattern designs, which Lugo incorporated into three monumental outdoor sculptures. Each twelve-foot vessel, installed at sites across Kensington in summer 2024, stands as a testament to the neighborhood’s rich cultural tapestry and features a cutout entryway that allows visitors to step inside and see themselves in the artwork. Lugo’s unique blend of classical ceramics and urban culture invites the Kensington community to see art as a mirror of their collective creativity, identity and strength.

During 2024, free pottery workshops continued at the Kensington Storefront while sculpture tours, a block party and a public forum invited people to experience We Here throughout the summer and fall.

In partnership with Kensington Corridor Trust, the Free Church of St. John and Taller Puertorriqueño, Lugo’s final vessel sculptures can now be viewed in person at Kensington & Allegheny, Helen & Elkhart and 5th & Huntingdon.

We Here Public Forum & Sculpture Party

Mural Arts will celebrated the artists and community members behind We Here in an afternoon of conversation and convening around art and ideas. Hosted by We Here’s Community Advisory Committee of Kensington residents and Curator of Public Engagement Megan Voeller, the program debuted a preview of a documentary short by Colibri Workshop and a first glimpse at the children’s book.

The Forum featured lead artist Roberto Lugo in conversation with Tony Award-winning playwright and poet Lemon Andersen, followed by a roundtable on the arts, behavioral health and community wellbeing with speakers from By Faith Health and Healing; Hispanic Community Counseling Services; the City of Philadelphia; the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services; and Mural Art’s Porch Light Program.

After the forum, the community enjoyed hands-on clay sculpting activities with Lugo and We Here artist Nitza Walesca Rosario, a Polaroid photo booth at Lugo’s monumental sculpture with artist Daisie Cardona, music, games and refreshments, and tour Taller’s cultural corridor with Experience Eastern North.

Walk and Talk Events

Kensington residents and We Here Community Advisory Committee members offered a walk to visit two of Roberto Lugo’s vessel installations and other sites in the Kensington neighborhood. This 90-minute Walk and Talk started at the Kensington Storefront (3208 Kensington Ave.) and featured the Kensington Corridor Trust Garden (3236 Kensington Ave.) and the Free Church of St. John (3076 Emerald Street) installations, as well as other local Kensington spots along the way.

Read a Book with Roberto and Frank

As part of We Here, Roberto Lugo and acclaimed author Frank Berrios teamed up to create We Here: What Kind of Artist Will You Be?, a children’s book illustrated by Meghan Galloway-Edgar. Inspired by Lugo’s artistic journey, the book was distributed for free to Kensington families in Spanish and English editions with the goal of fostering a love of art-making in the neighborhood’s next generation.

Saturday Pottery Workshops

Artist Nitza Walesca Rosario led  free workshops designed to get your hands dirty with a fun introduction to clay held at Kensington Storefront, 3208 Kensington Avenue.  Mural Arts will fired the participants unique tiles for them to keep or install at the Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden.

About Roberto Lugo

Born and raised in Kensington, Philadelphia, Roberto Lugo blends classical ceramics with the vibrancy of hiphop culture to address poverty, inequality, and racial injustice. Through his work, Lugo revitalizes traditional European and Asian pottery with urban flair, merging classic aesthetics with modern motifs, including graffiti and portraits of influential figures often excluded from luxury art.

In 2023, Lugo received the esteemed Heinz Award, granting the artist $250,000 in unrestricted funds to support his work. A recipient of prestigious awards including a 2019 Pew Fellowship, Lugo’s artworks can be found in major museum collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Roberto Lugo Studios

Charlie Cunningham, Studio Manager
Julianna Thompson, Artist Assistant
Spencer Dofflemyer, Artist Assistant
Soso Capaldi, Artist Assistant

In the News

WHYY: A giant ginger jar rises in Kensington proclaiming, ‘We Here’
Fox29: Good Day Uncut: New art installation in Kensington
ArtBlog: Midweek News, Hidden City Podcast, electric school buses, OSGEMEOS, Basquiat, Banksy, Smithsonian, openings and more
The Broad Street Review: The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, July 25-31, 2024The Philadelphia Inquirer: For Kensington, By Kensington: Mural Arts’ We Here Spotlights Community Grit and Pride
WHYY: ‘Transforming the art form of ceramics’: Philly artist Roberto Lugo wins $250,000 Heinz Award
Philadelphia Metro: ‘We Here’ gets the community involved with its art
Philadelphia Metro: Arts and culture events to check out this summer in Philadelphia
CBS Philadelphia: Meet the Philadelphia artist using immersive sculptures to spark joy, foster community in Kensington
NBC10 Philadelphia: Giant sculptures representing the community are coming to Kensington
Kensington Voice: Kensington native Roberto Lugo to paint three 11-foot sculptures in Kensington this summer
Philadelphia Today: How a Kensington Artist is Bringing Joy and Fostering Community Through Immersive Sculptures