©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

MALT celebrates 25 years with gift to the community
by Kristin Pazulski

Five-year-old Michela Hand of Mt. Airy looks up at the tiled leaves of the Mt. Airy Learning Tree mosaic, next to the words “Everything you need to know you can learn under this tree.” (Photos by Kristin Pazulski)

Most people enjoy receiving presents in celebration of their birthday, but for its 25th birthday, the Mount Airy Learning Tree is giving a mosaic that illustrates its mission to the community.

On Saturday, May 13, MALT unveiled the gift — a mosaic of tiles, created by members of the community, on the side of Lovett Library on Germantown Avenue. A tree, under a blue sky, sprouts from roots, depicting MALT’s mission of providing community-based learning — and, of course, illustrates the name of the organization. The diversity of Mt. Airy, which gives such pride to the community, is illustrated by the varied designs and colors of the tiles that frame the mosaic.

“[MALT] is not a school, it’s not an organization, it’s all these people,” said MALT Director Jonna Naylor during her opening speech. “It’s alive.”

The conception of MALT began in 1980. Barbara Bloom wanted to create an inexpensive adult community education program, and worked together with individual volunteers, East Mt. Airy Neighbors and West Mt. Airy Neighbors to establish the first program, consisting of 17 classes, in 1981.

Mosaic designer Jessica Gorlin-Liddell opened her art business in Mt. Airy while working with MALT on the mosaic and teaching classes.

Twenty-five years later, the offerings have expanded to encompass more than 1,500 students in 200-plus classes. Its web presence allows the community to view its catalog, register online and suggest classes. It has served more than 1,000 teachers in its 25 years of existence, and they range from professionals to hobbyists.

“It seems to me people are at their best when they are sharing something new or learning something new,” said Bloom, a tree pendant hanging from her neck. She was presented with a commemorative tile at the event, and her name joins a number of others on the mosaic.

The names are of people who helped MALT to grow, through financial and other contributions; and another list features 28 well-known figures who came from the area, including local feminist and horticultural activist Ernesta Ballard, jazz musician Grover Washington Jr. and Clarissa Jones, an educator and nurse during the Civil War.

“For each name on this wall, they’re 10 businesses and 100 people behind this community and organization,” said Naylor during her presentation of Bloom’s tile.

Founder Barbara Bloom was presented with a commemorative tile at the unveiling of MALT’s 25th anniversary mosaic.

The artist who designed the mosaic, Jessica Gorlin-Liddell, has taught mosaic design and tile making for three years through the organization. The community and MALT influenced her decision to move her art studio in Manayunk to Mount Airy.

“I just fell in love with this neighborhood,” said Gorlin-Liddell, who owns Tesserae Studio, at 6780 Germantown Ave.

Tesserae was the creative grounds for a lot of the tile making throughout the two years of preparation for the mosaic. Gorlin-Liddell said community volunteers, assistants in her studio and classes of school children would create the tiles in between other projects.

Gorlin-Liddell said so many tiles were made she couldn’t estimate the number on the mosaic, but just said there were “lots and lots of leaves to make.”

She spent the two weeks before the unveiling sitting atop scaffolding with employees of M.E.K. Design and Construction and volunteers to install the mosaic on the library’s wall, at Germantown Avenue and Sedgwick Street. On May 10 the mosaic was featured on Good Day Philadelphia.

“We are very honored that MALT decided to use our building for the mosaic,” said Lovett’s Librarian Eileen Levinson during its installation. “The mosaic was a wonderful exercise in community cooperation, and the depiction of the tree is such an appropriate symbol of learning and a reflection of both institutions.”