Mural Arts Philadelphia’s Tacony LAB Community Art Center and Riverfront North Partnership on Saturday unveiled Take Us To The River, a large fabric installation created by artist Rebecca Schultz.
The unveiling took place at the newly reopened Lardner’s Point Park, a 4-acre park that originally opened in 2012 at 5202 Levick St., under the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. The nonprofit Riverfront North Partnership creates trails and parks along the water, from Allegheny Avenue to the Bucks County line.
The piece is the culmination of Schultz’s residency at Tacony LAB, a community art and marker space at 6918 Torresdale Ave.
To raise awareness about the riverfront and its environment, Schultz facilitated a series of art and nature walks, partnering with different environmental professionals. An art exercise designed by Schultz followed each walk. Participants took their observations on the walks and translated them into artwork using line drawing, watercolor and photography.
Next, at Tacony LAB, Schultz created the finished product from these images. The piece will be on display at Tacony LAB until the end of May.
“Tacony LAB is really a special place and amazing community resource,” Schultz said.
Jane Golden, the longtime executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, encouraged people to send letters to the mayor and City Council, calling for funding for the LAB.
The LAB offers the following studio hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m.; and Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ••
