Amir Campbell, 2022
Amir Campbell, Arcadia: Birthed Out of Love, paint on wood panels, 2021-22. Installed on the Arcadia University campus at the edge of the wooded area along Church Road. It is accessible from the Church Road entrance adjacent to the Lower Pit Parking Lot. See below map for location.
Arcadia: Birthed Out of Love Mural - Amir Campbell, 2021-22
Arcadia University, like Glenside, has a common theme throughout its conception: “Great things from uncommon beginnings.” Both Arcadia and the town in which it resides show the power of ingenuity and stepping outside of the status quo and social norms to birth something amazing. Initially called Beaver College, the University’s rich history has so much to uncover. The mural, Arcadia: Birthed Out of Love, starts with an idea of forbidden love, symbolized by the lightbulb in the center. The notion of a slave owner’s son, Richard Morrey, falling in love with Cremona Satterthwaite, a Lenape/Black woman who had been enslaved by his father, is represented by the hands with a heart in the center. Who would have thought that from this unexpected relationship Glenside would be born? The great-grandson of Cremona, Hiram Monteir, would later marry Elizabeth Brown—and theirs was a union birthed from the descendants of a former slave on the Cheltenham estate of Philadelphia’s first mayor, Humphrey Morrey.
The University was started and built on the wealth of a sugar refinery owned by William Welsh Harrison. However, wealth without vision is just wealth. Horace Trumbauer had that vision, so his eyes are emphatically portrayed to denote his vision for the design of the Castle. The stroke lines and markings depict the atmosphere of Arcadia’s campus where everyone is constantly on the move to their next destination, fulfilling their destiny, all while the beaver sits quietly preparing a dam to preserve the rich history of Arcadia’s past. The placement of the mural is also significant. It is intentionally placed on this plot of land as a memorial to Cremona, who after the passing of Richard Morrey, gained an inheritance of 198 acres of land, making her one of the first African American women landowners.
Life is a series of complex equations. Throughout history, we have often lost sight of important variables that get lost, or history gets forgotten entirely. We only see the results after the equal sign—thus, Arcadia and Glenside as they are now. The S.T.E.M. equations represent the complexity of life and the conversion leading to the present, paying homage to these lost variables. We wanted this collaborative mural to have a contemporary and relatable vibe, which is why it is so colorful and the faces are youthful. Arcadia: Birthed Out of Love unites S.T.E.M. with the Arts (the “A”) to embody a celebration of S.T.E.A.M.+H. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, plus Health) at Arcadia. The S.T.E.M. sketches throughout the visual mural design express the ingenuity and collective minds of Arcadia students—past, present, and future.
Amir Campbell : 2022 Arcadia Public Art Project Resident Artist
Arcadia University, like Glenside, has a common theme throughout its conception: “Great things from uncommon beginnings.” Both Arcadia and the town in which it resides show the power of ingenuity and stepping outside of the status quo and social norms to birth something amazing. Initially called Beaver College, the University’s rich history has so much to uncover. The mural, Arcadia: Birthed Out of Love, starts with an idea of forbidden love, symbolized by the lightbulb in the center. The notion of a slave owner’s son, Richard Morrey, falling in love with Cremona Satterthwaite, a Lenape/Black woman who had been enslaved by his father, is represented by the hands with a heart in the center. Who would have thought that from this unexpected relationship Glenside would be born? The great-grandson of Cremona, Hiram Monteir, would later marry Elizabeth Brown—and theirs was a union birthed from the descendants of a former slave on the Cheltenham estate of Philadelphia’s first mayor, Humphrey Morrey.
The University was started and built on the wealth of a sugar refinery owned by William Welsh Harrison. However, wealth without vision is just wealth. Horace Trumbauer had that vision, so his eyes are emphatically portrayed to denote his vision for the design of the Castle. The stroke lines and markings depict the atmosphere of Arcadia’s campus where everyone is constantly on the move to their next destination, fulfilling their destiny, all while the beaver sits quietly preparing a dam to preserve the rich history of Arcadia’s past. The placement of the mural is also significant. It is intentionally placed on this plot of land as a memorial to Cremona, who after the passing of Richard Morrey, gained an inheritance of 198 acres of land, making her one of the first African American women landowners.
Life is a series of complex equations. Throughout history, we have often lost sight of important variables that get lost, or history gets forgotten entirely. We only see the results after the equal sign—thus, Arcadia and Glenside as they are now. The S.T.E.M. equations represent the complexity of life and the conversion leading to the present, paying homage to these lost variables. We wanted this collaborative mural to have a contemporary and relatable vibe, which is why it is so colorful and the faces are youthful. Arcadia: Birthed Out of Love unites S.T.E.M. with the Arts (the “A”) to embody a celebration of S.T.E.A.M.+H. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, plus Health) at Arcadia. The S.T.E.M. sketches throughout the visual mural design express the ingenuity and collective minds of Arcadia students—past, present, and future.
Amir Campbell : 2022 Arcadia Public Art Project Resident Artist
Amir Campbell : 2022 Arcadia Public Art Project Resident Artist
Mural Opening and unveiling
8 October 2022, 5-6:30pm
Amir's public reception and mural unveiling will be on Saturday, October 8th, from 5-6:30 PM (as part of Arcadia's homecoming weekend). There will be refreshments, music, and remarks. You can RSVP here. The mural is installed on campus at the edge of the wooded area along Church Road. It is accessible from the Lower Pit Parking Lot. See below map for location:
8 October 2022, 5-6:30pm
Amir's public reception and mural unveiling will be on Saturday, October 8th, from 5-6:30 PM (as part of Arcadia's homecoming weekend). There will be refreshments, music, and remarks. You can RSVP here. The mural is installed on campus at the edge of the wooded area along Church Road. It is accessible from the Lower Pit Parking Lot. See below map for location:
Opening Reception remarks by Amir Campbell : 2022 Arcadia Public Art Project Resident Artist
LOCATION OF MURAL:
Thank You
The Arcadia Public Art Project (APAP) is grateful for ongoing support from the College of Arts and Sciences and Rebecca Kohn, Senior Vice Provost and Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; and the Department of Art and Design.
Thank you to Rob Napoli, Production Manager, and the Theatre department; thanks to Public Safety for helping Amir access the studio with all of his Sunday visits; and thanks to the student apprentices in FA378 for their persistent hard work and commitment.
Also, thank you for their ongoing support for the Arcadia Public Art Project: Laura Baldwin, Vice President for Marketing and Communications, and Dan DiPrinzio, Director of Communications, and all of Arcadia's Marketing and Communications department; Alison LaLond Wyant, Executive Director, Civic & Global Engagement; Matthew Areman, Cheltenham Township Commissioner, Ward 1; Amy Chapman, Owner, Elcy's Cafe; and Sydney Welch '20.
Special thanks to the Arcadia facilities team, who were instrumental during the mural installation. Tom Macchi, Associate Vice President - Facilities Management and Capital Planning, and Kevin Marass and Kevin Titus, and the whole facilities team for their involvement in the install and also making sure the landscaping at the site looks great.
Oversight of APAP is coordinated by David Guinn, Krista Profitt, and Maryann Worrell, with support from Abbey Ryan.
The Arcadia Public Art Project (APAP) is grateful for ongoing support from the College of Arts and Sciences and Rebecca Kohn, Senior Vice Provost and Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; and the Department of Art and Design.
Thank you to Rob Napoli, Production Manager, and the Theatre department; thanks to Public Safety for helping Amir access the studio with all of his Sunday visits; and thanks to the student apprentices in FA378 for their persistent hard work and commitment.
Also, thank you for their ongoing support for the Arcadia Public Art Project: Laura Baldwin, Vice President for Marketing and Communications, and Dan DiPrinzio, Director of Communications, and all of Arcadia's Marketing and Communications department; Alison LaLond Wyant, Executive Director, Civic & Global Engagement; Matthew Areman, Cheltenham Township Commissioner, Ward 1; Amy Chapman, Owner, Elcy's Cafe; and Sydney Welch '20.
Special thanks to the Arcadia facilities team, who were instrumental during the mural installation. Tom Macchi, Associate Vice President - Facilities Management and Capital Planning, and Kevin Marass and Kevin Titus, and the whole facilities team for their involvement in the install and also making sure the landscaping at the site looks great.
Oversight of APAP is coordinated by David Guinn, Krista Profitt, and Maryann Worrell, with support from Abbey Ryan.
