A new exhibit at the Allentown Art Museum explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Lehigh Valley and how communities are still healing from it.
The exhibition, called “Restoring Petals,” is a community project by artist, activist and AAM Community Art+Action Fellow Chloe Cole Wilson, who designed it to provide a place for both healing and reflection.
The goal of the project was to create a space for people to connect through the art-making process and find solace, nurture joy and rejuvenate their souls, she explained.
“We have a small section dedicated to folks who we’ve lost during the COVID-19 pandemic from various ways and this is really a space to honor those folks and ensure that their families feel connected and figure out different ways to process grief and loss,” Cole Wilson said in a video shared on YouTube. Other spaces within the exhibit include a “cove area” where attendees can listen to podcasts, poetry walls and a rest space.
The “Restoring Petals” exhibition opened Jan. 15 during the Museum’s MLK Day celebration. Cole Wilson’s opening reception included a soundscape experience; performances by Latrice Young, Darius Foster, Jaeo, Rozse and Syncere Jackson; poetry; art-making; and community fellowship.
“Restoring Petals” may be experienced at the Allentown Art Museum, which is located at 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown, Pa. The museum’s hours are Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (and Third Thursdays 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
Museum officials said the exhibition presents visitors with a unique way to process the difficult emotions of the past three years and move forward with hope and optimism for the future.
For more information about the museum, its current exhibits and upcoming programs, visit AllentownArtMuseum.org.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
