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Afromation Avenue 2026 Dedication

Photo by Afromation Avenue

Join us to dedicate Afromation Avenue in Kensington, the fourth installation from artists and Philadelphia public educators Brittni Jennings and Kristin Kelly, featuring artwork by Shalina Mitchell and Marrita Richardson.

This initiative collaborates with local artists and communities to create positive affirmation signs inspired by neighborhood stories, history, and identity. We invite you to join us as we reflect on our journey, hear from our collaborating artists, and be the first to experience our new installation!

Note: This is an outdoor event. We recommend dressing comfortably and appropriately for the weather.

About Afromation Avenue

Founded by former Philadelphia school teachers Brittni Jennings and Kristin Kelly, Afromation Avenue is a community street art initiative working to preserve the cultural integrity of Black spaces throughout the city of Philadelphia. In collaboration with local Black artists and community members, personalized positive affirmation street signs find a permanent home within the landscape of historically Black communities.

Through creative placemaking Afromation Avenue lends itself as a social emotional guide where our stories are heard, our communities are seen, and our joy is felt.

As a part of Councilmember Lozada’s Office, Mural Arts Philadelphia, and Impact Services Heart of Kensington Creates (HOKC) initiative, Afromation Avenue installed its fourth iteration of curated, positive affirmation street signs in the Kensington community in the following locations:

  • McPherson Library
  • Free Church of St. John
  • Conwell Middle School
  • Harrowgate Park
August 8, 2026
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Cost /
Free
Address /
McPherson Square Library, 601 E Indiana Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19134, USA
Related Projects /
Afromation Avenue 2026 (Kensington)
Join Us /
RSVP for free
Dedication
About the Artists
Website
Instagram

Hear more from the artists and curators at the dedication event.

Brittni Jennings
Brittni Jennings
Brittni Jennings is a passionate Philadelphia educator, social justice advocate, and community artist dedicated to dismantling systemic inequities through public art. At the core of her practice is a commitment to person-first discourse that centers the Black American experience and empowers Black youth to reclaim their autonomy. Her work in urban education has earned her widespread recognition, including the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and the David McCullough Prize for Excellence in Public History.
Kristin Kelly
Kristin Kelly
Kristin Kelly is an educator in Philadelphia with 14 years of experience teaching multiple grades and subjects, from early childhood education to high school English. She graduated with a degree in English from Bloomsburg University, where she encountered the writings of Frantz Fanon, a figure who remains central to Afromation Avenue’s practices and mission.
Marrita Richardson
Marrita Richardson
Marrita Richardson is a Philadelphia-based visual artist whose work captures the exceptional beauty within everyday Black life. Working primarily in acrylics, she blends pop art, surrealism, and sacred iconography to explore themes of resilience, divinity, and identity. Richardson believes that Black art is mainstream art and that every community deserves access to it. Through her paintings, exhibitions, and creative initiatives, she strives to make art both reflective and reachable, inviting viewers to see beauty and belonging in themselves and the world around them.
Shalina Mitchell
Shalina Mitchell
Shalina Mitchell is a multidisciplinary artist who explores identity, inclusion, and the shared human experience through portraiture, public art, and mixed media. Grounded in studies of the human form and philosophy, Shalina investigates the dynamic relationship between people and their environments. Through her work, Shalina aims to inspire empathy, provoke thought, and create spaces for meaningful conversation about our collective humanity.
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