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Event - Community Cyanotype PortraitCall for volunteers! Want to be part of making a historical artwork?
Please come to the 20/20 Photo Festival at Cherry Street Pier on Saturday, September 6, 2025 at 12pm sharp to be a part of it! Or feel free to just come watch.
CALL:
What will this artwork be about?
"Friends, are you Wide Awakes?
Join artist Jackie Neale in creating one of the largest cyanotypes on fabric at the Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia Saturday, September 6, 2025 12pm.
Be a part of history in the making by creating a community cyanotype portrait with artist Jackie Neale using the theme; Open Eye, The Wide Awakes.
The Open Eye is a reference to The Wide Awakes. The Wide Awakes are a coalition of individuals across the country who display the symbol of an open eye to signify their support of free speech, human rights, women's rights and safe haven during volatile times. The Wide Awakes began in 1860 as protectors to those who wanted to speak out to end slavery, they worked have a solidarity symbol of the open eye.
The artist asks you to bring meaningful objects to make imprints and stencils, but mostly bring hand-cut, decorative stencils/outlines of an open eye that would make reference to the Wide Awakes on as imprints/silhouettes on the cyanotype photo. (we reserve the right to exclude any objects).
Sign up begins at 12:00pm and will be on a first come, first sign-up basis. See below for requirements. Sorry, no children under the age of 17 (due to duration of stillness required). Read below for more info.
Where: Cherry Street Pier, 121 N Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106 - At the end of the pier
When: Saturday September 6, 2025 - 12:00–12:30 pm sign-up, 1pm sharp start time - The event itself will begin around 12:30pm and will be created at 1:00pm sharp! Weather permitting. We need sun. No sun? It will be postponed, stay tuned).
Required: Laying in the sun without moving an inch for 10-20 minutes will be required
Bring: Large stencils of an open eye (not plural) to create an imprint, different open eye stencils in multiple welcome. Make them big to be visible from afar.
Leave behind: Bags, backpacks, sharp/heavy objects, bottles, kids (or bring someone to watch them for you. We cannot and will not.)
Wear: As little as possible and make it tight if you're wearing it + sunscreen"
How: How cyanotypes work - the large format fabric has a photographic light-sensitive emulsion on it. It is dried and stored in the dark. This fabric is now light-sensitive to the sun and will make an imprint when exposed to the sun of anything that is on top of it during its time under the sun. When things are placed on top of this fabric anything that blocks the sun makes a white imprint and any part that is not blocked becomes a rich blue. This artwork will not only be body outlines, but will have repetitive symbols the eyes cut-outs you bring! Please bring your own very large and decorative stencils of Open eyes. The Eyes have to be outlines, stencils or transparent.
For more info:
https://www.2020photofestival.org/communitycyanotype
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
121 N Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1403, United States
