Mural Arts Philadelphia approached Philly Works to assist in a PEW grant application based on our prior work with Design Philadelphia and our established relationships with the designers and manufacturers in Philadelphia.
 

We received the grant in 2012 and worked the following year to facilitate a 6 month partnership with 6 of the remaining textile manufacturers in Philadelphia: Bentley Robe Company, Churchville Fabrics, Clemson Winding, Wayne Mills, Humphrys Textile, and G.J. Littlewood & Son.

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We paired a selection of designers and artists with these manufacturers to produce new work based on a period of research. 6 individuals were chosen for these select residency experiences. We worked with Mural Arts, Interface Studio, and historian Ken Finkel to produce documentation and video alongside these residencies to help communicate Philadelphia's rich past in textiles, and what helped make Philalephia the 19th century's "Workshop of the World." 

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Structure and Surface​​

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