Woodmere Art Museum will host a field trip to Church of the Advocate in North Philadelphia April 21 as part of the Chestnut Hill museum’s display of “Sold Into Bondage,” an historic painting by artist Walter Edmonds.
The special tour will feature the murals at Church of the Advocate created by Edmonds, who died in 2011, and fellow Philadelphia artist Richard Watson. Created between 1973 to 1976, the murals depict biblical scenes through the lens of Black history.
The artwork was commissioned by the Rev. Paul M. Washington, a seminal figure in Episcopal Church history. In 1974, Washington defied many in the denomination and hosted the ceremony ordaining 11 women to the priesthood, the first in the Episcopal Church’s history.
The field trip is free and the tour will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Visitors should not arrive earlier than 1:45 p.m. to allow the church to prepare for the presentation.
The church is at 18th and Diamond Streets. The entrance is accessible via a concrete ramp at the church's entrance adjacent to the parish hall at 2121 N. Gratz St. To register, visit woodmereartmuseum.org.
