- News
- October 24, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24, 2022 — The Faith and Liberty Discovery Center (FLDC), a state-of-the-art museum that illuminates the profound impact faith has had on American history and current events, today announced the launch of “Illuminations,” a broad series of events and activations that will turn the FLDC into a cultural and artistic hub for faith-based and secular communities.
With events and signature activations happening throughout the year, FLDC Illuminations will welcome artists, performers and writers to participate in events such as concerts, book signings, speaker series, watch parties and more. The first activation will be unveiled on November 3rd – the “FLDC Illuminations Artists Showcase.”
Six student-artists from Cairn University in Langhorne Manor are painting canvas murals that will be mounted on the columns on the exterior of the Center facing Market Street. The FLDC is situated on Independence Mall near the Liberty Bell at the NE corner of 5th and Market Streets. Each of the murals, which are being painted on campus at Cairn, is meant to represent one of the six core values upon which the Center’s interactive presentation is based – faith, liberty, justice, hope, unity and love.
“In addition to these wonderfully talented student-artists bringing our core values to life, this showcase and the Illuminations series is also our message to the community that the FLDC is a cultural venue as much as it’s a tourist destination,” said Rob Wonderling, executive director of the FLDC. “If you’re an artist or musician or author, we think the FLDC can be a powerful setting in which to celebrate your work.”
The “Illuminations” title is a play on the interactive “lamps” that visitors carry and use to explore the museum, capturing fascinating content that can be explored further online. In the future, the Artists Showcase will be an annual event that will be open to the greater Philadelphia region’s community of artists, allowing for different interpretations of the Center’s values each year and highlighting the vibrant arts community in the city and the region. For the inaugural Showcase, the six Cairn students were selected from submissions that came from the University’s thriving art program.
“It’s an honor to be a part of the first installment of an event we believe will be a staple of the Philadelphia art community for years to come,” said Matthew Stemler, an associate professor and head of the Cairn University art program. “This is an amazing opportunity to showcase not only the talents of these six young artists, but also the amazing programs we’re offering at Cairn.”
The canvas murals will be unveiled at 12:30 p.m. on November 3rd in a ceremony that is open to the public. They will remain affixed to the Center’s exterior until the December holidays.
About Faith and Liberty Discovery Center
The Faith and Liberty Discovery Center (FLDC) is a technologically immersive, state-of-the-art museum that inspires visitors to explore the relationship between faith and liberty in the American story, from the country’s founding through today. Situated on Independence Mall near the Liberty Bell at the NE corner of 5th and Market Streets, the FLDC is a subsidiary of American Bible Society. Opened in 2021, the Center’s immersive journey illuminates the profound impact faith has had on American history. With an interactive lamp in hand, visitors can explore the museum and capture fascinating content that can be explored further online anytime, anyplace. The museum is an inspirational destination that tells the story of how our nation was born and how American leaders have turned to the Bible to guide them repeatedly throughout history.