By Jennifer Zwilling
Radical Americana was born out of a desire to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, to capitalize on the Semiquincentennial in a way that paralleled the major celebrations that came along with the Centennial, the Sesquicentennial and the Bicentennial here in Philadelphia. As an art historian, the Centennial has long been a focus of my academic interest. As a Bicentennial baby, the 200th anniversary of our country has loomed large in my personal history. The chance to contribute to the major commemorative moment of our lifetime by collaborating with other cultural organizations to support the artists in our city was a powerful motivator to take on this major project. A cohort of leaders from craft, art, history, and cultural organizations around Philadelphia gathered in the fall of 2024 on the roof deck at The Clay Studio and shaped the project that would become Radical Americana.
The group put out a call for proposals that encouraged artists to research artwork from 1776, 1876, or 1976 and make new work in response. They were asked to choose a partner site where they would do their research and one where they proposed to exhibit the finished work. The group juried the applications and matched artists with research and exhibition sites. The partners also had the opportunity to invite an artist to work with them. The Clay Studio invited Roberto Lugo to respond to the prompt. The subsequent group of 45 artists and 25 research and exhibiting locations is now launched as our full Radical Americana project.
The existing sense of collaboration between cultural institutions in Philadelphia is an important aspect of what Radical Americana is celebrating. Many of us in the group have worked together at various organizations over the last twenty-five years. Our strong relationships built on shared experiences allowed us to trust each other and work together effectively toward a shared goal: to celebrate the creativity that has thrived in Philadelphia for more than 250 years. Radical Americana is a citywide cultural experience across Philadelphia’s diverse neighborhoods that honors the critical role of artists in shaping our nation’s history, and in leading our cultural discourse today. Our wide network of exhibiting and research organizations around the Philadelphia region connects and contextualizes the importance of marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The programming around the exhibitions and the subsequent symposium (in November 2026) is uniting people to discuss the continued relevance of the Declaration’s ideals. Our hope is that the Radical Americana project will spur collective, creative problem-solving to illuminate innovative ways of creating a future where people from all cultural and economic groups have an equal share in Philadelphia’s vibrant and creative community.
At The Clay Studio our keystone Radical Americana exhibition is Roberto Lugo’s American Crib: What’s Happening?. Lugo represents the core of what Radical Americana aims to celebrate: taking inspiration from the past to tell important truths about today’s society. He grew up in Philadelphia, finding creativity where he could, in graffiti and looking up to Philadelphia musical heroes like Questlove and Black Thought of The Roots. When he found ceramic art he pursued it with dedication to college and graduate school where he immersed himself in the history of art. He then used that knowledge to fuel new creations positioning Civil Rights Movement leaders and Hip-Hop artists in place of royals and war heroes on triumphant urns and elaborate teapots.
Roberto Lugo created a welcoming imagined living space celebrating his Philadelphia roots and cultural heritage. The artwork incorporates research undertaken at the Philadelphia Art Museum to emphasize the expanding dimensions of his storytelling. Visitors are invited to relax on the sofa, have a cup of tea and read a book from Roberto Lugo’s library, and be inspired. This deeply personal reflection on America’s socio-political landscape celebrates the power of art to communicate. Lugo mixes historical pottery traditions with pop culture, humor, and critical clarity to address complex issues, including cultural identity, mental health, social justice, and the resilience of underrepresented communities. American Crib: What’s Happening? is a poignant reflection on Lugo’s personal history and his hopes for a better world.
In addition to references to art history, social justice, and pop culture icons, Lugo’s American Crib is also an homage to the trials and triumphs of his family and his own upbringing in Philadelphia. The largest ceramic in the exhibition is A Pot to Piss In, a 40 inch tall urn adorned with a portrait of his grandfather, and a self portrait. Each time Lugo gives a tour of the space he starts by telling the story of his grandfather Alberto Ayalo. He was so dedicated to making his family’s life better that he is still known in his Puerto Rico home town as the man who carried a refrigerator up the mountain on his back. He brought his family to Philadelphia for a better life only to sustain an injury at work that he never recovered from. Lugo’s family has spent decades in and out of hardship, and he is keenly aware that his life as an artist is a privilege and a way to honor his grandparents’ and parents’ love and hard work.
In American Crib Lugo invites us into a home-like space, where he shows us his creativity, his passion, his academic interests, and his deep love for his family, including his two sons. One is represented in the painting Nuggie Sauce, and one has his artwork on display as well. A sofa reminiscent of the one he remembers from his grandmother’s house is upholstered in fabric designed by Lugo featuring images repeated around the gallery: a fire hydrant, a row house, a tire planter, and a pigeon. On a sideboard nearby rests the grand Greek style urn The Day My Sister’s Chain Was Stolen. The visual narrative circling vase is an episode from the Lugo family, rather than a Greek myth, lifting up the stories of urban American life to the level of legends. All around the gallery we see the juxtaposition of everyday life and museum worthy art, generously offering visitors the chance to slow down and enjoy the humanity inherent in the world Roberto Lugo has built. He says the show is “about us as humans and how beautiful things can happen when we allow ourselves to be in a room with people who are different than us.”
Philadelphia has been home to talented artists working in various mediums for centuries — from Indigenous weavers to European silversmiths — who have built the city to be what it is today. People from across cultural groups have been active participants in crafting our city. Radical Americana invites artists, cultural organizations, and visitors to explore and contemplate the moment of our country’s founding in 1776 and subsequent commemorative moments: the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, the Sesquicentennial in 1926, and the Bicentennial in 1976. These events spurred creativity and cultural exchange, making further innovation and creativity possible. We are capitalizing on this moment of commemoration to highlight Philadelphia’s unique position as a place where diverse artists can live and work, where creativity can spur innovation for the future, and where viewing and participating in the arts can initiate respectful civic discourse. We hope that the artistic output of Radical Americana, and the 2026 Semiquincentennial, will have an equally positive impact on our cultural heritage for decades and centuries into the future.
Special thanks are due to Trinity Dubois, Exhibitions Coordinator, whose organizational skills, patience, and knowledge facilitated this project that required communicating with and collating information from nearly one hundred people. John Vick, Executive Director at Andalusia and Laura Keim, Curator at Stenton, have been attentive and generously dedicated to the value of inserting contemporary artists’ voices into their historic sites. Sarah Archer is our consulting curator and created the perfect project moniker. The dedication of the whole staff at The Clay Studio has been integral to the project’s success. Finally, the Decorative Arts Trust’s generous grant offered us the ability to bring Radical Americana to full fruition, and for that we are incredibly grateful.
Radical Americana Partners: Andalusia Historic House, Gardens, & Arboretum, Biello Martin Studios, No. 5 Butchie Alley, The Clay Studio, Cliveden of the Historic Trust, The Colored Girls Museum, The Free Library of Philadelphia Rare Book Department, Dina Wind Art Foundation, Glen Foerd, InLiquid, Historic Yellow Springs, John James Audubon Center at Glenn Mill, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Museum for Art in Wood, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Planned Parenthood, Reilly Memorial, Stenton, Taller Puertorriqueño, William Way LGBT Community Center, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
Participating Artists include: Roberto Lugo, Sophie Glenn, Belle-Pilar Fleming, Bri Murphy, Jody Graff, Adam Chau, Michael Biello, Rosalind Sutkowski, Natessa Amin, Janna Gregonis, Naya Lee Chang, Kristen Neville Taylor, Samara Weaver, Jacintha Kruc, Jonathan Wahl, Angelique Scott, Monna Morton, Caitlin McCormack, Jessica Eldredge, Duwenavue Santé Johnson, BA Harrington, Viola Bordon, Dennis Ritter, Miranda Lopez, Hagudeza Rullán-Fantauzzi, Scarlett DeLorme, Justin Jain, Aimee Koran, John Y. Wind, Katie Strachan, Charlotte Lindley Martin, Terri Saulin, and Lyla Kaplan.
Jennifer Zwilling is The Clay Studio’s Curator and Director of Artistic Programs. She earned her BA in History from Ursinus College and MA in Art History from Temple University, Tyler School of Art. Previously, she was Assistant Curator of American Decorative Arts and Contemporary Craft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Jennifer developed and taught History of Modern Craft at Tyler School of Art for ten years and has taught and lectured around the world.
American Crib: What’s Happening? by Robert Lugo is on view at The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, between April 9 and July 9, 2026.
Photos by Alexander Mansour, courtesy of The Clay Studio
