Rami George will be the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives at William Way LGBT Community Center
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
July 24, 2023
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Philadelphia, PA, July 24, 2023 --Artist and curator Rami George will be the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives at William Way LGBT Community Center beginning July 2023.
Rami George is an interdisciplinary artist currently based on Lenape land in what is now called Philadelphia. The John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives is Philadelphia's most extensive collection of personal papers, organizational records, periodicals, audiovisual material and ephemera documenting the rich history of the area’s LGBTQ community.
George’s artistic practice is strongly archives based and has included multiple uses of materials from the Wilcox Archives. In early 2023, the Center presented George’s solo exhibition, Selections from the Archives. This summer, their public installation, AND INTO THE STREETS, is on view in Kahn Park (11th and Pine) in the heart of the city’s Gayborhood. AND INTO THE STREETS is produced in collaboration with Mural Arts with material sourced from the Wilcox Archives.
As the Wilcox Archives’ first Artist-in-Residence, George will continue to make use of the collections for their own artistic and curatorial practice, and will serve informally as an ambassador of the Archives to others with an interest in the collections.
“As this is our first go at having an Artist-in-Residence in the Archives, there are many questions about how a program like this should run,” says Archives Director John Anderies. “Rami has been a joy to work with in the past, putting community and representation at the center of their work with our materials. I’m grateful to have someone like Rami to partner with on this exciting venture.”
Over the course of the residency, which runs through the end of 2023, George will plan a future exhibition using the collections and will present a virtual talk at the close of the residency.
“I’ve been spending so much time in the Archives lately,” says George, “that it feels like a second home. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to continue my time and research with this incredible resource, as well as help shape what this sort of residency might look like in the future.”
George’s work has been shown in exhibitions and screenings at the MIT List Visual Arts Center (Cambridge); Anthology Film Archive (New York); Centre for Contemporary Arts (Glasgow); Grand Union (Birmingham); the Institute of Contemporary Arts (London); the Institute of Contemporary Art (Philadelphia); LUX (London); and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
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The mission of the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives is to collect, describe, interpret, and provide access to publications, personal papers, organizational and business records, audiovisual materials, and ephemera created by, dealing with, or of special interest to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
The William Way LGBT Community Center seeks to engage and support the diverse LGBTQIA+ communities in the greater Philadelphia area through arts & culture, empowerment, and community connections. We want all LGBTQIA+ people to feel safe, connected, and empowered. We strive to be a community center whose staff, management, and board reflect the vibrant and richly diverse communities we serve.
For more information please contact archives@waygay.org.