Mother Bethel AME

I went to church on Sunday to the historic Mother Bethel AME church which is located on 6th and Lumbard Streets in Philadelphia. I don't know why I had never visited before considering how much work I have done wth churches all across PA, NJ and NY over the past ten years. I guess it was destined to be a special experience for me. I felt soo much history there. The combination of church worship and historical sensations was a breathtaking feeling. I visited the Richard Allen Museum in the churches lower level. The artifacts included original church furniture and Bibles, several houseware items from the Allen's home, photographs. A painted mural by my artist associate and friend, James Dupree of Philadelphia greets you at the entrance and of course the tomb of Richard Allen and others. No pictures were allowed to be taken.

The Pastor of the church, Dr. Tyler, came to my studio to visit today, he encouraged my work on the Underground Railroad and was happy to know that Mother Bethel AME would be a part of my art in the near future. I agreed to work with the church to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of Richard Allen's birth in 2010. Stay tuned as my works develop to honor the history of this great church and its historic African American leaders.