POOL weaves together history, site-specific artwork, storytelling, scholarship and place-based learning.

The exhibit installations build on one another to illuminate a history of segregated swimming in America, and its connection to present-day drowning issues affecting Black communities.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCE AND CULINARY EXPERIENCES

SPLASH / CONCESSIONS is a series of musical and culinary arts performed in the lanes of the former Kelly Pool and outside the Fairmount Water Works (weather permitting). Bringing together performers and chefs to explore ideas within POOL offers powerful opportunities for creative exchanges and engagement for both artists and audiences alike. These upcoming events are designed to expand the experience, prolong the discussion and re-ignite interest in this extraordinary exhibition.

“A diverse palette of music performed by Philly-based artists/ensembles debuting new musical works that sonically probe the cultural, historical, social and even spiritual concepts at the heart of this extraordinary exhibition.”

Homer Jackson, SPLASH curator, Interdisciplinary artist, Founder/director of the Philadelphia Jazz Project

“CONCESSIONS refers both to the concession stand, where one buys food at a pool and to the concessions that need to be made in order to make public pools more socially equal places…I hope that this food will help everyone recall their best memory of the water, and to imagine a more ideal, future shared recreational experience.”

Valerie Erwin, CONCESSIONS curator, Chef and social justice activist, founder of Geechee Girl Rice Café, former manager of EAT Café, and manager of Farm to Families.