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.
About the Flag:
This flag features an image made from woven street posters collected from various cities around the world and handwoven in Gibson-Cornell’s Philadelphia studio. Through a process of "dissection," he slices these materials into strips, removing their original function as advertisements to physically and metaphorically combine different places into a unified new whole. Much like an immigrant’s journey, these fragmented elements find new potential in their relocation, symbolizing the strength that arises from combining fragile individual pieces into a cohesive textile.
About the Artist:
Galen Gibson-Cornell is a Philadelphia-based artist whose practice is rooted in international immersion and the exploration of urban landscapes. After receiving his MFA and a Fulbright Fellowship to Budapest, he developed a signature style using street posters and urban ephemera collected from cities worldwide. His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in notable collections, including Microsoft and the Museum of Wisconsin Art; he is currently represented by galleries in Philadelphia, New York, and Tennessee.
