Contact: Warren Angle Exhibitions Manager 215.922.3456, ext. 318 wangle@fleisher.org

Fleisher Art Memorial 719 Catharine Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 www.fleisher.org

Wherever There Is Water Night Procession:
Saturday, April 24th, 2010

[Philadelphia PA] – The Fleisher Art Memorial is proud to present Wherever There Is Water, a night procession of illuminated sculpture through the streets of South Philly on Saturday, April 24th. The parade will depart from Fleisher at 7:45 PM and wind its way through the neighborhood. The procession is the culminating project of Fleisher's current artist-in-residence, George Ferrandi. It will feature a lit paper menagerie of lions, dogs, rabbits, squirrels and many other woodland creatures amidst cast paper representations of their respective landscapes. An illuminated boat will maneuver around glowing icebergs as luminescent jellyfish float by, and the Fleisher Memorial Choir will accompany the creatures singing songs of the story they tell.

The objects in the procession are based on the adventures of Philadelphia residents as told to Ferrandi in a series of “tea parties” held in the early stages of her residency at Fleisher. In the procession, images from these true stories combine to tell part of a fictional story Ferrandi is writing about an elderly woman, named Huberta. Huberta and her husband had lived on Coney Island forever, but their adult children worried about their aging parents' ability to care for themselves. Against their will, but beyond their control, the old couple is separated — the mother is taken to live with her daughter in Florida, and the father is taken to live with his son in Maine. Before being shuffled off, the old man tells his wife not to worry, that he'll be with her “wherever there is water.” The night procession recreates Huberta's very epic journey from one body of water to the next in an effort to find her way back to her old life and love. She encounters many heroes and villains along the way, and tackles her challenges armed only with her trusty pocketbook and her bunny slippers.

The public is invited to continue their participation in this ongoing collaboration with George Ferrandi and the Fleisher Art Memorial. In addition to Ferrandi's sculpture, this luminous event will feature over 100 paper lanterns, handmade and decorated by members of the community in a series of free workshops. Free lantern/ illuminated sculpture workshops will be held at Fleisher on the first four Thursdays in April from 6:00—9:00 PM. Additionally, all levels of experience are welcome and encouraged to join the first ever Fleisher Memorial Choir, which meets in the Fleisher Sanctuary on Tuesdays from 6:00—7:00 PM under the direction of Ian Munroe. The songs are being developed by Ferrandi and Munroe to give a musical voice to Huberta's narrative and to set the pace for the procession. Work sessions with George making finishing touches on magnificent papier-mâché sculptures for the procession will occur Saturdays, April 10th and 17th. Sessions for families will be 2:00—5:00 PM and adults only (wine served) 7:00—10:00 PM.

For other opportunities to participate, or to learn the exact route of the parade on Saturday, April 24th, visit our website at www.fleisher.org and get all of the latest updates by the following @hubertasparade on Twitter.

• Gathering in Fleisher parking lot for instructions and "fittings": 6:45 PM
  
• Staging/Line-up/Lights On: 7:15 PM
  
• Procession commences: 7:45 PM
  
• Return to Fleisher parking lot by 9:45 PM
  

Wherever There is Water is supported by an Artists & Communities grant. Artists & Communities, a program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, is made possible by major funding from the Heintz Endowments, the William Penn Foundation and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Fleisher's programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, the Wallace Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, local foundation and corporate grants, and generous contributions from more than 2,000 student members and friends.

Fleisher is a source of inspiration, creativity, and community. Every year, more than 17,000 people experience the transformative power of art by participating in our studio classes, exhibitions, and community-based programming. We are a nonprofit organization committed to advancing the vision of our founder, Samuel S. Fleisher, who believed that art is one of society's greatest assets and equalizers, and from the doorway of his Graphic Sketch Club, “invited the world to come and learn art.” Through all of our work, we strive to make art accessible to everyone regardless of economic means, background, or artistic experience. We operate one of the nation's first community-based arts centers, providing free and low-cost studio art classes along with opportunities for beginning and seasoned artists to exhibit their work in a professional gallery setting. To further enhance our mission, Fleisher's arts education programming reaches deeply into local schools and community centers, and has brought us national recognition and powerful opportunities to advocate for and shape arts education initiatives throughout the region and country.

Visit www.fleisher.org to learn more.