Sacred Space: A Brandywine Workshop and Archive Print Exhibition

Sacred Space, organized by guest curator Juanita Sunday, draws on the rich history of the Brandywine Workshop and Archives, founded in Philadelphia in 1972 by artist Allan Edmunds. The exhibition encourages a deep exploration of spiritual connection, inviting viewers to reflect on the ancestral wisdom and memory passed down through generations. The exhibition serves as a portal into the interconnected realms of spirituality, time, space, memory, and culture. The artists pay homage to their forebears, drawing upon cultural traditions, rituals, and sacred practices to honor and preserve, as well as question, the invaluable heritage that shapes our identities.

Drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of Afrodiaspora and Indigenous cultures, the exhibition engages with the artworks as catalysts for personal introspection and collective dialogue, prompting questions about our place in the universe, our relationships, the significance of our histories, and the transformative power of spiritual connection.

“My belief is that art is best as the articulation of spiritual ideas or transformative intention. It can be an agent of spiritual inspiration or personal and social transformation.” - Michael D. Harris

As of 2023, FUAM is home to a Brandywine Satellite collection joins prestigious institutions with Brandywine “satellite collections” joining other institutions including Harvard Art Museums, RISD Museum, and the University of Delaware Museums. Sacred Space features works from FUAM’s own collection as well as loans from other institutions.

Image: Mikel Elam, Veil, 2019, offset lithograph and screenprint on paper. Partial gift of the Brandywine Workshop and Archives and Museum Purchase with funds from the Black Art Fund, 2022.17.13