Families Belong Together
![](/sites/all/themes/arts_zen/images/favorites_icon.png)
PROJECT OVERVIEW
![](https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/styles/rectanble_280x220/public/yir/2018-07-16%20FBT%20Dedicaiton-20.jpg?itok=8daFd7VU)
Guild Graduates/Assistants: Jacqueline Beamer, Shaun Durbin, David Fleming, William Houser, Anthony Lovett, Tyreeah McCray, Omar Robinson, Thomas Thompson / no website / no email address
In neighborhoods across Philadelphia, families and individuals are feeling the immediate and lasting effects of harsh immigration laws, which unfolded in the national conversation in the summer of 2018. Inspired by the national events, Chilean artist Ian Pierce (also known as Artes Ekeko) created a mural that explores Philadelphia’s identity as a sanctuary city, collaborating with local artist Cesar Viveros on this bright, textured design. The mural features a family making their way to a new home, just like the Fairhill neighborhood where it is located, in homage to Fairhill’s predominantly Hispanic and Latinx communities. The immigrants who are a large part of the fabric of Philadelphia deserve to feel at home, to be valued and respected, and that starts with representation. The mural was created in partnership with participants from Mural Arts’ Restorative Justice Guild initiative and the local Providence Center’s youth programs.