Recent Activities

SHUIJIANG MIDDLE SCHOOL

Barefoot Artists initiated a new project in China’s Hunan Province over the course of 2 weeks in late April and early May. We worked at this middle school with a large population of “left behind children,” kids whose parents have migrated to larger cities for work, leaving their children in the care of grandparents or other family members. The project included art classes, an installation of painted poles and a tree of life mural.

Dandelion Rainbow Tree of Life

Delayed for over 2 years due to COVID, Lily was finally able to travel to China again to oversee the creation and installation of a mosaic mural measuring 93 feet wide by 20 feet high on the Dandelion Middle School campus. The 2-month long project engaged over 500 teachers and students and over 300 volunteers. Click here for more detailed information.

Dancing with a Star

Lily Yeh’s tribute to the amazing Ione Nash (1923 – 2021) and her seven-decades long dedication to dance, choreography and teaching; as well as her lengthy partnership with the Village. The mural was installed this fall.

Detail of a 2-story mural depicting a young German Wilson, beloved African-American theater director in front of a swirling backdrop of African dancers and North Philadelphia community members.

German Wilson Commemoration

Beloved theater director German Wilson was celebrated at the Village of the Arts and Humanities with a mural and ‘bringing home’ ceremony. Learn more.

Donation to Smithsonian
Archives of American Art

At the invitation of the Smithsonian, Lily Yeh gifted the first installment of her archive to the insitution’s Archive of American Art in April which includes her 18 years of work in Rwanda.

 “The Archives provides the public with free and open access to the most valuable research materials on American art. The Archives inspired new ways of interpreting our nation’s artist and cultural heritage.”                                              

– Smithsonian Archives