upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024

upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024

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In Memoriam: Ana Guissel Palma

In keeping with this season's many cultural traditions of honoring those who have gone before us, Leeway honors Ana Guissel Palma (LTA '17, ACG '17, '15, 11), who transitioned from this life September 2018.  

Born in Mexico, Ana Guissel Palma was an artist based in Philadelphia since 1999, originally trained as a muralist since 2002. Ana started art and crafts initiatives aiming to preserve the cultural identities of immigrant groups of Meso American (region and cultural area of parts of Mexico and Central America) descendants, while assimilating the new culture embraced in the Philadelphia area. The art made with the immigrant community has brought them to venues such as the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia Museum of Art, UPenn Museum, and The Kimmel Center, among others. 

Ana was also instrumental in conceptualizing the altar installation for MAKING SPACE, Leeway's 25th anniversary exhibition, and has been funded several times for projects sharing Mexican artistic culture with many Philadelphia communities, including through the Fleisher Art Memorial's Día de los Muertos committee, La Calaca Flaca. 

PhillyCAM members Leticia Nixon and Carmen Marcet produced a short, touching video in honor of Ana and her vibrancy and love for sharing art with her community. Watch it below.

 

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