Coming September 2026 - Art Show and Exhibition: From Invisible to Invincible: Honoring the Art of Color

Artist - Barbara Bullock

Historic Strawberry Mansion Recognizes the 100th Anniversary of Its Committee of 1926 During Philly250

September 19 through November 8, 2026

Artist Barbara Bullock

PRESS RELEASE: Philadelphia, PA (January 28, 2026) Historic Strawberry Mansion, the largest Fairmount Park Historic House, located at 2450 Strawberry Mansion Drive, recognizes the 100th Anniversary of its Committee of 1926 with a celebration of artists who were not permitted to exhibit when this committee was originally formed. In those days, they were invisible, but not today.

An exhibit titled “From Invisible to Invincible: Honoring the Art of Color” will open September 19 and run through November 8, 2026, and join in the recognition of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, in Philadelphia known as Philly250. The exhibit pays tribute to the first “Negro Achievement Week” 100 years ago (eventually leading to Black History Month) where diverse artists who were deliberately shut out of formal exhibition spaces were finally recognized when their work was displayed on storefront windows in Germantown. The exhibit will both showcase the work of nationally renowned Philadelphia area African American, Latino, and Gay artists including Henry Bermudez, Barbara Bullock, Syd Carpenter, Martina Johnson-Allen, Tim McFarlane, Tom McKinney, Pedro Ospina, Ron Rumford, Sherry Shine, Steven CW Taylor, Yolanda Ward and Richard J. Watson and highlight Historic Strawberry Mansion’s important place in the history of Philadelphia.

Historic Strawberry Mansion is filled with antiques, fine art and collectible treasures from the 18th and 19th centuries. The exhibition will be a beautiful enhancement of this collection and will help raise needed funds for the Mansion and its educational programs.  There will be oil paintings, acrylics, watercolor, pottery, textiles, photography, prints and three-dimensional art. During the summer, Pedro Ospina will build his exhibit for all to see on the mansion property. It will be an assemblage of twigs taken from the grounds and formed into an abstract work of art.

Connie Ragsdale, president of Historic Strawberry Mansion, credits her grandmother, Corinthia Jackson, for the inspiration to create this exhibit. Jackson, who was an activist, volunteered during “Negro Achievement Week.” Ragsdale said, “Historic Strawberry Mansion is honored to shine a light on the ‘invisible’ artists who were not permitted to exhibit when the Committee was established in 1926. The inspiration comes from that moment a century ago, when communities who had been overlooked gathered to celebrate resilience, resourcefulness and talent. The 1926’s Sesquicentennial Exposition paid lip service to diversity but did not allocate resources fairly or treat marginalized groups like Black, Jewish, and Catholic Philadelphians with dignity. We are thrilled to be able to do this, now, 100 years later, and during the celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday.”

While the mansion is city property, it is the Committee of 1926 that oversees repairs, restoration and raises the funds to maintain the 235-year-old historic building. The art show is a fundraiser to help the Committee’s stewardship to continue to bring meaningful, historical, and educational programming to the citizens of Philadelphia and beyond. The proceeds will benefit the preservation of Historic Strawberry Mansion as well as benefiting the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center which provides educational programming for neighborhood children and families.

About Historic Strawberry Mansion: Historic Strawberry Mansion is Philadelphia’s quintessential estate built in 1789 for Judge William Lewis. Judge Lewis was an abolitionist who was known for his work on Pennsylvania’s 1780 anti-slavery legislation. The mansion contains an extensive collection of period antiques, fine art and a premier collection of Sesquicentennial and Millennium dolls. A group of public-spirited women, The Committee of 1926, began the journey to preserve and protect the history and artifacts of this great house. Today, the women of The Committee of 1926 continue with the same public spirit, preserving and protecting this historic mansion as well as engaging in community outreach with the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center.

The mansion is located at 2450 Strawberry Mansion Drive and is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.historicstrawberrymansion.org. Admission price to the exhibit is included in regular admission of $8.00 a ticket

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Feldscher Horwitz Public Relations

Sharla Feldscher, 215-285-4868, sharla@fhpublicrelations.com

Hope Feldscher-Horwitz, 215-760-2884, hope@fhpublicrelations.com