In "Roots of Resilience," sixteen artists were selected from a call for applications to design flags that tell stories of hope, strength, and community, honoring the journeys of those who made Philly their home. From textiles to digital art, these powerful flags will fly at Spruce Street Harbor Park from May 22, 2026, to September 7, 2026.
“I Am Here, We Exist” uses fragmentation to convey the experience of carrying one place into another, a visual intersection of queer and diasporic Puerto Rican identity. The flag brings together handwritten recipes, FaceTime screenshots, landscape photos, and family heirlooms from Puerto Rico, alongside images drawn from queer literature, archives, community spaces, and Philadelphia landmarks. Collecting and celebrating seemingly ordinary moments is a profound act of cultural preservation, contributing to an ongoing fight for existence. A flag is a marker of presence: I am here, we exist.
About the Artist:
Chloe Luisa Piñero received her BFA in Painting and Drawing from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in 2018. In 2024, Piñero was a visiting artist at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2023, she was selected for the Apprenticeship program at The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia, PA, and in 2018, she was the artist-in-residence at the Jasper Studios Residency Program in Philadelphia, PA. Chloe is a recipient of the 2022 and 2023 Illuminate the Arts Grant. Piñero is currently pursuing an independent study program at The Santissima Community Hub in Naples, Italy.
