Friends Select to Unveil Public Artwork on Gender Equality

Friends Select School is proud to announce we will be hosting Gender Equality, the first of 17 public artworks spread across Philadelphia as part of the Global Philadelphia Association’s campaign to raise awareness about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The unveiling event on October 3 will include a ribbon cutting ceremony, a light reception, and remarks by our project partners, Michael Gary, head of school, and Mia Cohen ’21, as well as a musical performance by Friends Select students.

Thursday, October 3, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. 
Friends Select School
BrightView Plaza

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About the Sustainable Development Goals Campaign 

In September 2015, 193 countries adopted the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are to be achieved by 2030. Each SDG has specific targets and is broadly being carried out to address continuing global issues such as ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring a greater quality of life throughout the world. As the only World Heritage city in the United States, Philadelphia is well poised to raise awareness of these goals. To that end, Global Philadelphia Association has launched its Sustainable Development Goals campaign in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia. There will be 17 works of public art created to honor and celebrate the 17 SDGs, which will be displayed throughout Philadelphia. The first of those works of art focuses on SDG #5: Gender Equality, and will be displayed on the 17th Street wall of Friends Select School for the next two years.

The Gender Equality artwork has been created by artist Barbara Smolen, and is sponsored by Glenmede Trust, in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, New Century Trust, Widener University, Friends Select School, and Global Philadelphia Association. As part of their sponsorship for the artwork, Glenmede Trust will be presenting a grant to New Century Trust to support their work building economic and political gender equality throughout the Southeastern Pennsylvania region.  

Gender Equality and Friends Select

Equality is one of the six Quaker testimonies (or SPICES). Across all three divisions at Friends Select, students and faculty work to understand what gender equality looks like, and how we can contribute to making it a reality. 

Lower school faculty recently formed a Gender Education committee and a partnership with the organization Gender Spectrum to engage in professional development to support faculty as they create a curriculum that will help children build a deeper, more nuanced understanding of gender and gender inclusivity, as well as how they can support each other in feeling comfortable as their true selves in school. In middle school, students can opt to join the Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever club (GLOW) or the Equity, Inclusion, and Allyship committee, two groups for exploring aspects of gender equality and how to promote gender equality in our communities. In upper school, multiple aspects of gender are studied in courses such as the History of Gender or topic-focused workshops. During last year’s Day of Inclusivity, Intersectionality, Community, and Equity (DIICE) students designed and hosted workshops such as Breaking the Gender Binary, Sexism in the Classroom, and Race, Gender, & Pop Culture. 

In addition, Friends Select’s LGBTQ+ Family and Friends Group hosted a panel discussion in the Blauvelt Theatre this past spring titled “Breaking the Binary of Sexuality and Gender Norms.” The discussion was open to the public and was moderated by Evan Thornburg, Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs. 

Friends Select’s mission statement begins with “We believe in the Quaker values of respect for all,” and we are proud to be a part of this partnership that uses public art to promote equality regardless of gender.