We Here Documentary Screening

Mural Arts Philadelphia will host a public screening and Q&A of the documentary film for their We Here project, which took place in 2023 and 2024. Documentary filmmaker Gustavo Garcia of Colibri Workshop, artist Roberto Lugo, and Community Advisory Council members Brenda Mosley and John Walsh will be on hand for a discussion following the screening.

In collaboration with renowned artist and Kensington native Roberto Lugo and a dedicated Community Advisory Council, We Here was a community-engaged art project that illuminated the vibrant Kensington neighborhood.

Inspired by Lugo’s journey as a professional artist who grew up in Kensington, We Here focused on youth engagement through pottery. The project featured immersive artistic experiences, including workshops and public programs.

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.

In 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.

The We Here documentary was directed by Gustavo Garcia, edited by Joe Ronca with additional production support by Ariel Goodman.

Photo: Community members walk through the sculpture vessel and garden during the We Here Kensington Community Trust (KCT) Garden block party. Photo by Steve Weinik