Philadelphia – The Philadelphia International Unity Cup (PIUC) will honor the teams’ artistic heritages at the Final Championship Game on Saturday, November 5^th. The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, City of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program, Small But Mighty Arts, and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation coordinated the creation of individualized banners through a series of artist-led workshops with each of the teams and their supporters. Each team banner will be showcased in the Parade of Nations at the PIUC championship game on November 5, as well as at a one-day exhibition during the PIUC closing reception at the Penn Museum on November 14.   Additionally, the banners will be displayed in the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy throughout December.

“The Unity Cup was organized to connect Philadelphia’s diverse communities, and we wanted to provide an avenue for the members of the community who may have more of an artistic inclination than an athletic one to participate,” said the City’s Chief Cultural Officer Kelly Lee.

The workshops took place during August and September with each of the thirty-two participating teams and their community members. The workshops were held in the team’s local community recreation centers as well as the Art Gallery at City Hall. The ideas generated through these workshops was transformed into a final designed banner by an artist assigned to each team. Along with original artwork, each banner will showcase the team’s national flag and the Philadelphia Unity Cup symbol.

The artists that worked on designing each of these Unity Cup team banners spoke about the impact that the project has had on them and their personal connections to the countries and communities represented in the Unity Cup:

“This project brings my two passions together: soccer and art. Both have the power to unite millions of people around the world,” said artist Carolina Gomez, who herself is Colombian-American and designed the team banners for Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and the USA. “It is a great opportunity be involved with the immigrant community of Philadelphia and represent the country in which I grew up.”

“I believe native persons of the countries participating will feel a deep connection in seeing the flags represent them and build a deeper connection between them and the USA,” said artist Monna Morton, who designed banners for teams representing India, Ireland, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast.

“It is only when the public knows the importance of art and art’s way of connecting our past to our future, can the arts act as a civics lesson to citizens everywhere,” said artist Amy Scheidegger, who designed banners for teams representing Mexico, Turkey, Argentina, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. “I was excited about this project for a very personal reason – I am moving to South America with the love of my life, an immigrant from Ecuador and for that reason, every day I am learning about the barriers that immigrants face while trying to live and make a living in the United States.”

Photos of the banners are available upon request. Please email Pamela.Yau@phila.gov.

About City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy
The mission of the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is to support and promote arts, culture and the creative industries; and to develop partnerships and coordinate efforts that weave arts, culture and creativity into the economic and social fabric of the City. For more information on Creative Philadelphia, visit: www.CreativePHL.org, Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter and Instagram @CreativePHL.

About The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For over 30 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives. Mural Arts engages communities in 50-100 public art projects each year, and maintains its growing collection through a restoration initiative. Core Mural Arts programs such as Art Education, Restorative Justice, and Porch Light yield unique, project-based learning opportunities for thousands of youth and adults. Each year, over 12,000 residents and visitors tour Mural Arts’ outdoor art gallery, which has become part of the city’s civic landscape and a source of pride and inspiration, earning Philadelphia international recognition as the “City of Murals.” Follow along on social media: @muralarts on Twitter and Instagram, phillymuralarts on YouTube, and MuralArtsPhiladelphia on Facebook.

 About Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation advances the prosperity of the city and the progress of her people through intentional and sustained stewardship of public land and waterways as well as through safe, stimulating recreation, environmental and cultural centers. PPR helps Philadelphia’s children and other residents grow by connecting them to the natural world, to each other, and to fun, physical and social opportunities. For more information, find Philadelphia Parks & Recreation online at www.phila.gov/parksandrecreation and follow @philaparkandrec on social media.

 About Small But Mighty Arts
Small But Mighty Arts provides artists with small grants and additional resources at critical points in their creative careers that will serve as a catalyst to further their work while living and creating in Philadelphia. For more information, find Small But Mighty Arts online at www.smallbutmightyartsgrant.wordpress.com and follow at Facebook.com/SmallButMightyArts, @sbmartsgrant on Twitter, and @smallbutmightarts on Instagram.