Social Sculptor | Cultural Strategist | Curator
Visiting Fellow, SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins
Visiting Artist For Art & Civic Engagement, University of Michigan Museum of Art
Strengthening democracy and repairing the social fabric of our country one creative conversation at a time.
“Y’all count me in, the sooner we start seeing how much the same we are the sooner our lives will benefit.”
what people are saying
artist philippa pham hughes’s latest work is a massive dinner party bringing conservatives and liberals together ahead of the midterm elections
The artist Philippa Pham Hughes wants people from both sides of the political aisle to sit down and hash things out. America, it’s time we had a talk. In the lead up to the mid-term elections in the U.S., political discourse has become more polarized than ever.
trump fans and foes break bread at washington dinner party
It’s Tuesday night and Philippa Hughes is putting together the finishing touches on dinner. Hughes is hosting a dinner party for strangers to talk politics over pasta. It’s an idea that could very easily get messy, and maybe that’s only appropriate for an idea borne from a messy presidential election.
across the country, liberals and conservatives are coming together at moderated dinners to understand each other better
After the 2016 election, Hughes, a Democrat, felt compelled to talk to Trump voters. The daughter of a conservative Vietnamese mother and a white father who was a lifelong union member, Hughes grew up in a working-class suburb of Richmond. But as an undergrad at the University of Virginia, she felt out of place. “I’ve often felt invisible in my life, and I think that’s how a lot of America feels,” she told me. “Who is speaking for me? Who is listening to me? I want to let you know I’m listening.”
this clinton fan invited trump supporters for dinner. healing divides isn’t so easy.
Though Hughes does not live far from the white house, no one in her inner circle supported the nation’s 45th president. But on this evening, Hughes was hosting a dinner with six people on opposite sides of the country’s political divide.
“We often bring German Members of Parliament and other German policymakers to Washington DC for political meetings. What those meetings lack are connections and perspectives beyond the “political bubble”. Your salons and your engagement with local artists, activists, and advocates have not only provided different perspectives but opened up connections on a deeper and more meaningful level. Instrumental for that to happen are: a setting that is conducive and inviting, trust between people who have not met before, creativity to break down stereotypes and preconceived notions of “the other” as well as a facilitator to pull it all together. You have thought about creative ways - from spoken word to drawing to music - to help people connect. And you have often provided a meal where people share food and their ideas.”
Project Highlights
We Should Talk: The Greatest Poem
The Greatest Poem is the first in a series of multi-media art installations and programs called We Should Talk in which multi-disciplinary Asian American women artists create space to explore the nuances and complexities of what it means to be an Asian American woman. We Should Talk is led by curator and artist Philippa Pham Hughes and artists Adele 이슬 Kenworthy and Xena Ni. We apply an aesthetic of care and delight to creating relational spaces in which we share deeply and honestly, learn from one another, explore, and flourish together. The Greatest Poem features the paintings and poetry of Thu Anh Nguyễn, a short, animated film produced by Philippa Pham Hughes called The Greatest Poem, and expressions of Asian American identity from AAPI women across the country that have been turned into found poems by Thu Anh. Adele and Xena’s programs will follow in Spring 2024.
Hey, We Need To Talk
In partnership with the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Office, the Creative Campus Voting Project is collaborating with UMMA to turn your art museum into an election hub — register to vote, get your ballot, access voting resources, and celebrate participation. In addition, visiting artist Philippa Hughes will host a dynamic and deeply engaging series of experimental social events across UMMA’s galleries, creating space for authentic and honest conversations between politically diverse people.
Looking For America
What does it mean to be American? How do different communities—in the Midwest, at the border, in cities and in rural areas—answer that question? Across the United States, we’re inviting local artists and community members of all backgrounds and political stripes to come together to share their stories and perspectives.