We Here: Celebrating Joy and Community Pride in Kensington

About We Here 

We Here, an immersive project designed to encourage engagement and joy through pottery in Philadelphia’s Kensington community, was inspired by Roberto Lugo’s journey as an artist who grew up in Kensington. We Here emphasized youth engagement through pottery and fostered a sense of unity and enrichment through artistic collaboration. Mural Arts’ Porch Light program, a collaborative effort with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, spearheaded the two-year project. Porch Light has worked to broaden access to the arts in Kensington since 2017.

Throughout the summer and fall of 2024, We Here celebrated the strength and creativity of Kensington.  We Here hosted a series of workshops with passionate clay artist Nitza Walesca Roasrio and members of the Kensington community. The workshops were free and open to the Kensington community to learn and experience the joy of working with clay to make tiles, bowls, and more.

This summer, three larger-than-life outdoor sculptures designed by Roberto Lugo were installed at their permanent locations in Kensington. The sculptures, produced at Johnson Atelier in Hamilton, NJ, embody the spirit of the community and include patterns and other input from Kensington residents in their design. Site locations include Kensington Corridor Trust, the Free Church of St. John, and Taller Puertorriqueño. Lugo’s vessel sculptures can now be viewed in person at Kensington & Allegheny, Helen & Elkhart, and 5th & Huntingdon.

We Here Walk and Talk Events 

Community members are invited to join Kensington residents and We Here Community Advisory Committee members on a walk to visit two of Roberto Lugo’s vessel installations and other sites in the Kensington neighborhood. This 90-minute Walk and Talk will start at the Kensington Storefront (3208 Kensington Ave.) and feature the sculptures located at Kensington Corridor Trust Garden (3236 Kensington Ave.) and the Free Church of St. John (3076 Emerald Street), as well as other local Kensington spots along the way.  The final Walk and Talk event will be held on Saturday, November 16.

Register here

Book Reading Events 

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 to foster a love of art-making in the neighborhood’s next generation.  There were multiple book readings and giveaway events with the creators in locations throughout Kensington.

We Here Reflections 

There were many notable moments in the We Here project. And the installation of Roberto Lugo’s sculptures was definitely at the top of the list!

The excitement was palpable as the flatbed truck arrived at the Kensington Corridor Trust (KCT) Garden lot from Johnson Atelier Digital, carrying the first of artist Roberto Lugo’s 11-foot sculptures on Wednesday, July 24. Members of the We Here Project team, Mural Arts staff, KCT staff, and the We Here Community Advisory Council gathered to witness the moment.

We watched and documented the process breathlessly as the sculpture was meticulously removed by a crane and placed in its permanent location amidst KCT’s pollinator garden and John Zerbe’s Heart of Kensington: Lots of Lots of Love mural. Once in place, Roberto Lugo was the first to step inside the sculpture and say, “We Here!”

After extensive planning, numerous community engagement events, and tile- and pattern-making workshops led by artist Roberto Lugo, the talented team from Johnson Atelier installed all three sculptures in Kensington.

Community Advisory Committee 

Along with Lugo and the project team, We Here was led by a Community Advisory Committee consisting of Kensington residents Daisie Cardona, Margarita Gonzalez, Tyler Kline, Brenda Mosley, Sunny Phanthavong, Neyda Rios, Claire Sitarz, Drew Spence, Katelyn Stoler, John Walsh, and J.C. Zerbe.

“I’m a firm believer that art brings about healing, and I’m here because I believe in what we’re doing with Roberto,” says CAC member Brenda Mosley, founder and executive director of the Kensington-based non-profit By Faith Health and Healing, Inc.

“A lot of people in Kensington are dealing with tragedy and trauma and loss, and Roberto’s art provides the joy needed in healing,” Mosley explains. “What’s really important is that Kensington residents know who Roberto is and all that he has come from, and how he has established himself. He’s a true vision of hope that people can connect with.”

CAC member Daisie Cardona hopes the project will highlight the resilience of residents who have worked across generations to sustain hope and community in Kensington. A youth activist, artist, and photographer, Cardona sees “a huge impact on people’s well-being” through projects like We Here.

“One of my hopes that I have for this project is to like the work I do every day and spend my life doing that. I want kids to be able to grow up with a different mentality than I did. Me and all my friends growing up were children who didn’t think we’d make it to 15, let alone 18. And I want better. I want better for my family,” Cardona says.

Thoughts from Roberto Lugo  

“We Here is a project I started in collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Porch Light program to celebrate and create art in Kensington, the community where I grew up. There are artists and visual thinkers in every community, and with access and the support to express themselves creatively, everyone can have the opportunity to thrive,” said Lead Artist Roberto Lugo.

“With the larger-than-life vessel sculptures that have been installed in the neighborhood, my goal is for folks to take pride in our community and see themselves as artists in the colorful patterns derived from and inspired by Kensington that will adorn the artwork,” said Lugo. “The sculptures themselves are an invitation for the community to interact; by stepping inside, you complete the artwork’s vignette as the portrait subject. I was inspired to create these sculptures and debut them in the community that raised me after taking notice of the stigma surrounding people taking selfies or photos with artwork. Above the criticism, I saw the natural inclination of people yearning to be reflected in something beautiful. With We Here, I’m bringing art back to my neighborhood and urging the people of my community to step into their absolute talent and creativity.”

Impact of We Here 

“We Here is miraculous!  It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of the We Here project, which brings life and healing to Kensington,” says CAC member Brenda Mosley. “So much time was spent engaging with the community, from youth pattern-making workshops to clay tile workshops.  Roberto’s work brings technical skill and artistic brilliance to our community.  His sculptures will be remembered long into the future – this project is historic!

“We Here embodies the essence of Kensington’s resilience and creativity, transforming the neighborhood into a living canvas,” said Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. “Through Roberto Lugo’s inspiring work and our collaborative community efforts, we’re not just making art – we’re weaving a vibrant tapestry of hope and unity. This project is a powerful testament to the transformative role of art in community building.”

Thank you to our Funders 

Major support for We Here has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from Hummingbird Foundation, City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS), Katie Adams Schaeffer & Tony Schaeffer, Julia & David Fleischner, City of Philadelphia, and an anonymous donor. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.