On View: 'Redefining Democracy in Red, White, Black, and Blue'

'Redefining Democracy in Red, White, Black, and Blue' is the latest series by local Quaker artist Walter Francis Elling. In homage to Jasper Johns, Elling uses actual flags as canvases to provoke responses to issues of race and queer liberation. Spray-painted messages interweave with a color-altered geometric landscape of the flags themselves, transforming the geometry of the stars and stripes into visual symbols that reimagine patriotism.

The exhibition will be on view September 5 through November 25, 2026. Visit historicasmh.org for updated hours and more information.

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About ART at Arch Street Meeting House:

Art at Arch Street Meeting House is an exhibition program that invites regional, national, and international artists and community organizations to display 2D artwork in the Reception Room of Arch Street Meeting House (ASMH).

Art at Arch Street Meeting House transforms three walls of ASMH's Reception Room into a platform for community-based artwork. It provides an opportunity for Philadelphia’s diverse cultural organizations to present their artistic expressions and use the visual arts to amplify community voices and foster healing and community dialogue.

The program is committed to presenting a wide range of ideas and artistic explorations to showcase the important role the arts play in our communities.