Press Highlights
PBS News Hour | Universities transform art museums into spaces for voting and political discourse, November 1, 2024
During the final days of this tense election, we take a look at a project fostering a different type of civic space to encourage young people to discuss issues, engage each other and vote. Jeffrey Brown visited the University of Michigan to see how this works. It's part of our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and for our arts and culture coverage, CANVAS. Read more here.
Stateside | Dining Across Political Divides October 28, 2024
The “Hey, We Need to Talk!” Common Sense Diner brings together a small group of people from diverse backgrounds for a free meal and guided conversation led by artist and social connector Philippa Pham Hughes. Folks from all walks of life and of all political backgrounds are invited to apply for the experience. Hughes joined Stateside to talk about the project, and about her experience dining with a divided America. Listen here.
The University Record | UMMA, Ford School use arts and ‘awe’ to guide public policy October 23, 2024
In a unique pairing between the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and U-M Museum of Art, students are learning how to develop human-centered experiences to guide public policy. This approach takes a step back from a traditional emphasis on economic growth and focuses on policies that prioritize human relationships, dignity and sustainability.
The public policy course, We Should Talk: Using Art and Culture as a Tool for Repairing the Social Fabric, combines faculty member Jenna Bednar’s research on human social flourishing with a new physical manifestation of that research curated by Philippa Pham Hughes, social practice artist and visiting artist for art and civic engagement at UMMA. Read more here.
WETA PBS | Around Town Best Bets May 3, 2024
Philippa Hughes brings us a dazzling world of color through the works of Pierre Bonnard. Take a tour of "Bonnard's Worlds" at the Phillips Collection. French painter Pierre Bonnard transformed intimate domestic scenes, fleeting moments of everyday life, lush landscapes, and intricate still lifes into dynamic and emotional paintings. Bonnard's paintings captured the essence rather than the details of a scene, much like his fellow 19th-century impressionists, but he was also a fiercely independent painter, and he developed his own unique style, that would have paved the way for the modernist abstract painters who followed him.
WETA PBS | Around Town Best Bets March 29, 2024
The Rubell Museum digs deep into its personal collection to highlight works from its finest creators. Philippa Hughes takes us into Singular Views: 25 Artists. More here.
Meet Philippa Hughes: Social Sculptor, Cultural Strategist, and Curator
The Heidelberg Project | July 12, 2023
As a lawyer, Philippa Hughes lived with an insatiable passion for art. Her mother’s aspirations for her to have the security of a respected career led her to become a lawyer in DC. However, her zeal for art was so intense that she sought ways to immerse herself in it, surrounding herself with artists and art that filled her soul. Throughout her life, Hughes amassed an art collection, attended exhibitions and performances, but there was still room in her heart for more. Yearning to delve into the art world, she started hosting salons, gathering artists and enthusiasts alike. The more involved she became, the clearer the understanding that art revolves around the connections and relationships between people. Read more here.
Artist Philippa Pham Hughes’s Latest Work Is a Massive Dinner Party Bringing Conservatives and Liberals Together Ahead of the Midterm Elections
artnet | Helen Stoilas | November 3, 2022
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. And with the aim of finding some common ground, the artist Philippa Pham Hughes is organzing a dinner this evening at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) in Ann Arbor, where guests from both sides of the political aisle will sit down with each other to hash things out. Read more here.
In the galleries: Artistic portals leading to and encouraging wonder
The Washington Post | Mark Jenkins | June 17, 2022
Mock foliage and actual vegetation dominate the main gallery at Brentwood Arts Exchange, but at the room’s center is a grove not of trees, but of stools. Their purpose is explained by the subtitle to this collaborative exhibition, “Treehouse: A Floralscape for Compassionate Conversation.” Visitors may make their way through the simulated woods to a place to commune. Read more here.
Local Politicos Hope Impeachment Takeaway Is Voter Turnout
WAMU | Hannah Schuster | December 16, 2019
Philippa Hughes, a local arts advocate, started by inviting liberals and Trump supporters to dinners for fewer than a dozen people at her home right after the 2016 election. Now, she’s grown the project to events and dinners for 50 people around the country. When it comes to something as polarizing as impeachment, Hughes sees value in having these conversations. The gatherings are unlikely to change minds, but that’s okay, Hughes said. She has seen the ways talking can start a dialogue — and maybe even open people up to different perspectives. Read more here.
How to heal America’s fracture
CNN | Yaffa Frederick | November 2019
She has since replicated these dinners in her home — and far beyond — bringing together Americans across the political divide to, as Hughes puts it, “experience art, share personal stories and break bread together.” And the greatest lesson she has taken from hosting nearly two dozen dinners? There’s no right way to be an American, and our democracy will be stronger if we are willing to embrace our differences. Read more here!
'Looking for America: El Paso' exhibit explores life along border through Nov. 23, 2019
El Paso TImes | October 22, 2019
El Paso Museum of History, national partners to host ‘Looking for America: El Paso’
El Paso Herald-Post | October 9, 2019
At a time when Americans are more polarized than ever, especially on the issue of immigration, national and local organizations have partnered together to help bridge the divide. Looking for America seeks to bring people together across a multitude of political opinions to answer the question, “What does it mean to be American?” Read more here.
New exhibit at Betty Strong encourages dialogue on what it means to be American
Sioux City Journal | September 29, 2019
“A new art exhibit at the Betty Strong Encounter Center encourages visitors to engage in a discussion about immigration and what it is to be an American.
The project, “Looking for America: Siouxland” asks guests, “What does it mean to be an American?” Local artists were invited to bring in works that speak to the theme in one form or fashion.
The exhibit will be on display for the remainder of this year. The exhibits range from a watercolor of senior citizens enjoying a concert to a series of photos of local immigrant women, to an abstract portrait of a Native American and an abstract print depicting “the expansion of the information sector.”” Read More.
Listening to each other will make us more civil
Salt Lake Tribune | September 18, 2019
“Civility is a trigger word in today’s political climate. Ironically, we use it as a weapon against our enemies. Yet it’s true that our normal political conversation has become far from civil. Civility doesn’t mean cowering in debate or abandoning our values. It means kindness, and respect, and real effort to understand.” Read more.
Creative Placemaking Across the Political Divide
CreativePlace Podcast | April 12, 2019
Is it possible to get liberals and conservatives to talk about politics without resorting to name calling? What if there were a way to get ordinary people from both sides of the political divide to discuss politics and policy using art and a creative process? We interviewed Washington D.C.-based creative placemaker Philippa Hughes when we were together at the 2019 Tom Tom Festival and Summit for a panel on creative placemaking. Hear her tell the story about how her curiosity about people's political views prompted her to start Blueberries and Cherries, a series of dinners that puts 'blue' and 'red' people together over dinner for civil discourse and how those dinners have evolved into larger events at art venues. Our interview took place in early April just as she was about to bring her concept to six other cities in the United States in collaboration with New American Economy and the American University School of Public Affairs. Listen here!
Era uma vez na América
Heitor Flumian | Medium | February 13, 2019
Para muito além do Capitólio e da Casa Branca, Washington tem uma cena cultural vibrante, com espaços para shows intimistas, bons restaurantes e ótimos museus que preservam parte da história do país. Read more here!
Blueberries & Cherries
SanityPod | November 8, 2018
Following the 2016 election, Philippa Hughes realized she didn’t know a single Trump voter and set out to change that by hosting small bipartisan dinner parties – “Blueberries and Cherries” – at her home. This in part led to the creation of “A (GOOD) AMERICAN,” an art show sponsored by American University School of Public Affairs and The Pink Line Project that examines the immigrant experience and celebrates what it means to be an American. For Sanity’s first live episode, we traveled to Washington D.C. to help kick off a 50-person bipartisan dinner party celebrating the art exhibit at the Heurich House Museum with the show’s brainchild. Listen here!
“I didn’t have a plan, but I did know that I wanted to listen. And that’s what we did – we talked and we listened.” — PHILIPPA HUGHES
WETA PBS | Around Town Best Bets October 25, 2024
Arlington, Virginia is celebrating 40 years of its public art program, and Philippa Hughes gives us a tour of some of the works you can see across the county. From "Dark Star Park" to "Queen City" and beyond. More here.
WETA PBS | Around Town Best Bets September 27,2024
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, and a small sampling of its treasures are on display in a brand new gallery space. Philippa Hughes takes us through "Collecting Memories." More here.
WETA PBS | Around Town Best Bets March 22, 2024
The weird, wild, wonderful world of orchids is blooming in the Smithsonian Art Museum's Kogod Courtyard this spring. Philippa Hughes takes us through a new exhibit, The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration, presented by the Smithsonian Gardens and the United States Botanic Garden. More here.
STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME
Peabody Magazine | Democracy and the Arts | Mary Zajac | Fall 2023
Philippa Pham Hughes, a visiting fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University for 2023– 24, is a social sculptor, cultural strategist, and curator who focuses on democracy building and civic engagement. Her Blueberries + Cherries project invites politically diverse guests to break bread and talk to each other face-to-face over a home-cooked meal in order to understand the things that influence our votes and to find ways to bridge the vast ideological gap that plagues our country. Read more here!
CHATTING WITH PHILIPPA P.B. HUGHES: A SOCIAL SCULPTOR
UMMA | SEHRISH HUSSAIN AND JACOB WARD | Fall 2022
Artist and social sculptor Philippa P.B. Hughes recently sat down with Student Advisory Board Members Sehrish Hussain and Jacob Ward to discuss her art practice. Take a listen to the fun and in-depth interview with Philippa below to hear her thoughts on topics like the intersectionality of being an artist (and a lawyer!), creating intentional spaces for honest conversations across political, social, and cultural differences, and more. Listen here!
Across the country, liberals and conservatives are coming together at moderated dinners to understand each other better
The Washington Post | Leigh Giangreco | February 24, 2020
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.” Read more here.
Want to bridge divides? Start with a blueberry and cherry crisp
CNN Opinion | December 5, 2019
"Build the wall. Don't let the refugees in," said my immigrant mother not long after the 2016 election. She'd finagled 17 members of our family into the US resettlement program when Vietnam fell to the communists after the withdrawal of American forces in 1975. Our family ended up in Richmond, Virginia.
Richmond was a challenging place for me -- a half-Asian kid who did not fit neatly into its clear black and white racial divide or a socioeconomic hierarchy that disregarded the social status our family had lost when we fled our homeland. But it did teach me how to operate in uncomfortable spaces that are sometimes filled with contradictions.
And yet, my mother's political views, years later, still baffled me. Read More.
Episode 23: Art as Inspiration
The Inner Loop Radio: A Creative Writing Podcast | November 8, 2019
Art has been inspiring writers for centuries. But what’s the value in it? Local community organizer - or social sculptor - Philippa Hughes of The Pink Line Project gives us her take on the conversation that can happen between disciplines. Then she joins Courtney and Rachel for an art-inspired writing session! Plus, we hear art-inspired pieces from Jennifer Clements and Jennifer Atkinson. Listen here!
How Philippa Hughes Brings People from Opposite Sides of the Political Spectrum Together Over a Meal
Association Chat | October 28, 2019
In this episode, KiKi interviews Philippa Hughes, a social sculptor, creative placemaker, and cultural strategist. Hughes designs art-fueled projects “connecting people who would not normally meet in meaningful, humanizing dialogue.” Watch for more here!
An art exhibition has Siouxlanders talking about what being American means to them
Siouxland News | September 30, 2019
“They say a picture is worth a thousand words and that’s exactly what “The Looking for America Tour” is chasing after.
It’s a social experiment that involves a group of Siouxlanders from all walks of life.” Read more.
Crude Conversations with Philippa Hughes
Crude Magazine | September 26, 2019
“Philippa says that it’s impossible to universally answer that question because everyone’s American experience is unique. Which is why, throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the importance of face-to-face interaction and civil discourse. Because, she says, when we listen to each other, we learn more.” Listen here.
Community Conversations: Bringing People Together
Siouxland Magazine | July 3, 2019
Like many Americans, I was surprised by the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Although I’m a Democrat, during the lead up to the election I consumed media from left- and right-leaning outlets to try to understand the deepening divide—and the anger, fear, and frustration voiced by voters of all political stripes—across the country. Despite my research, I maintained certain assumptions about what the results would be, and I even wondered how Republican voters would react when their candidate lost, prompting me to begin exploring ways to heal the rift after the election. Read more.
Kojo Roadshow: How Gentrification Affects The Arts In The D.C. Region
Kojo Nnamdi Show | March 21, 2019
The arts have a complicated relationship with gentrification in D.C. Artists and arts organizations can make neighborhoods more attractive to development — but are often displaced as rents rise and neighborhoods take on new identities. Is it possible to create sustainable space for the arts as neighborhoods change? And what is the role of arts organizations in telling the stories of communities facing gentrification?
As part of a series marking Kojo’s 20th year on air, we hosted a town hall event with artists, community leaders, city officials and developers to explore creative place-making and the role of artists and arts organizations within a rapidly changing region. Listen here!
Belonging, Civility, Ugh: What Happens When Commonly Held Ideals Backfire
Kojo Nnamdi Show | November 20, 2018
A sense of belonging. A desire for civility. Both seem necessary for a welcoming and respectful society, especially during the holiday season. But what happens when the ideas backfire? Listen here!
Local performers and experimental artists bring art to life at the Dupont Underground
NBC | May 31, 2018
Located below Dupont Circle, the Dupont Underground brings avant-garde art and performances to life below the bustling streets of Washington, D.C. Watch here!
Case Study: SEE/CHANGE
Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Panel Report for Collier County, Florida | January 29 to February 3, 2017.
Trump Fans And Foes Break Bread At Washington Dinner Party
WAMU | Carmel Delshad | March 13, 2017
It’s Tuesday night and Philippa Hughes is putting together the finishing touches on dinner. The smell of chicken baking in a cast iron pan floats through the air as water and coconut milk boil on the stove. 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. Read more.
Dupont Underground
On Tap | Monica Alford | March 2017
There are moments in life when you stumble upon something that feels remarkable, and your gut instinct is to hold on tight. As a writer, it’s those moments that can lead to the most compelling stories. On a Tuesday afternoon in late January, about 20 minutes into a private tour of a subterranean streetcar station reinvented as a creative space for the DC community, I knew I’d found a story worth telling: Dupont Underground. Read More.
Encouraging Neighbors to See Eye to Eye
City Lab | Jessica Leigh Hester | Novemeber 17, 2016
A creative placemaking project in Washington, D.C., puts residents’ faces front and center.
Illuminated faces loom large in storefronts and street corners along lower Georgia Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. Some are backgrounded by humming cars, others by chain link fences, or patterned wallpaper. They blink, smile, or turn slightly as wind musses their hair. Read More.
Philippa Hughes: A D.C. Artist Living Like Her Hair Is On Fire
WAMU | Metro Connection | January 24, 2014
Sometimes a fresh start can actually be a work in progress. And that’s definitely the case for 45-year-old D.C. resident Philippa Hughes.
“I think when people want to have a fresh start, they think a lightning bolt is going to come down and hit them, and everything is going to be great, or changed, or somehow different,” she says. “And in fact [my] change happened over a period of time. But the day I was diagnosed with cancer, I can point to as a day that everything did change. So I’ve labeled that day ‘the worst day of my life.'” Read more.
Philippa on the Arch Campbell Show
The Arch Campbell Show | 2013
Why did the performance artists stare at a can of orange juice for a day and a half?
Because it said concentrate.
What did one performance artist say to the other performance artist?
Nothing for eight hours.
What did the mother say when her son said a wanted to grow up to be a performance artist?
I'm sorry dear, but you can't do both.
MEET PHILIPPA HUGHES, THE ART OUTSIDER BEHIND THE PINKLINE PROJECT
Scout Mob | September 27, 2011
"And so far, her efforts seem to be working, as more and more arts organizations seek out Pinkline to get its stamp of approval on their events.” Read more.
Ex-Lawyer Learns a New Dance
Americans for the Arts | Philippa P.B. Hughes | July 27, 2011
In 2010, DC artist Jeffry Cudlin impersonated me and toured DC-area galleries on my own pink scooter, attempting to entice gallery directors to dance with him. Why did he do this? Find out more about the project here. Read more.
Creative Uses for Vacant Spaces
The Kojo Nnamdi Show | April 14, 2011
No neighborhood likes empty storefronts, especially up-and-coming areas. Now artists, city agencies, and landlords are teaming up to fill vacant spaces with “pop-ups” — creative temporary projects that generate visitors and buzz. We explore the art installations, performances, supper clubs and craft stores bringing life to underused urban spaces. For more.
The Philippa Collection
Washington City Paper | Kriston Capps | October 22, 2010
The crowd doubles from 50 to 100 between 8 and 9 p.m. Just off an alley behind 52 O St. NW, Philippa Hughes is hosting her 42nd birthday party. It is in most respects a typical Philippa party.
The warehouse interior is painted white, marked here and there by artful graffiti. Inside the space, a studio called the Wonderbox, a DJ in a seemingly sprayed-on navy cocktail dress spins top 40 hits—more of them than a warehouse party would seem to demand. A 9-foot-wide roll of thick, black paper hangs from the ceiling, serving as a portrait backdrop for guests who mug for professional photographers. Read more.
Mike Iacovone writes about US + THEM = U.S.: Finding Ground in a Divided Nation, Curated by Philippa Hughes and Deirdre Darden
Bmore Art | Mike Iacovone | February 9, 2017
Considering the timing of this exhibit, just one week before the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, and considering the title of the show, and the depressing dark cloud that has hovered over Washington DC since November 8th, I expected it to be something very different. I imagined angry artists reacting to the dangerous changes that our country is facing. I imagined protest. What they gave me was a calm and meditative breath that I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
This show isn’t about being angry at all. It’s about coming together. And I was probably too angry to consider that as a possibility until I walked through the exhibit with the two curators, Philippa Hughes and Diedre Darden, who deftly extinguished that flame before I could even finish my “Trump is ruining everything and every day is worse” soliloquy. Read more.
Art Project Examines East of the River Community
The Washington Informer | Eve M. Ferguson | June 28, 2017
On a typically muggy late June evening, a small group of people gathered picnic blankets and tables on the lawn outside of the Anacostia Community Museum, as whirring cicadas complemented the sound of a circular saw and a slim brown woman giving instructions.
”What defines home for you?” performance artist/writer and D.C. resident Holly Bass asked the diverse group who came out for a “Candlelight Conversation” about what community and the concept of home means. Read More.
This Clinton fan invited Trump supporters for dinner. Healing divides isn’t so easy.
PBS News Hour | Rhana Natour | March 7, 2017
Like so many liberals, Hughes had watched Trump’s rise in 2016 with a sense of bewilderment and frustration. As she searched for answers in his victory, Hughes realized her confusion stemmed in part from the fact that she had never held a meaningful face-to-face interaction with a Trump supporter. Read More.
Goodbye Obama, Hello Trump: The D.C Region’s Arts Scene Under A New Administration
The Kojo Nnamdi Show | January 12, 2017
Over the last decade, the arts scene in and around D.C. has been a hot topic for developers, patrons and the artists themselves. The Obama administration displayed a clear appreciation for the arts and brought some Hollywood glamour to the District, including renowned visiting artists. But how much influence does an administration have over the arts landscape nationally and in this region? As the transition to the Trump administration nears, we consider the ways in which the arts scene has flourished in the city and how it might both be challenged and continue to thrive in the years ahead. Read more.
SCHOOLIN’ LIFE: PHILIPPA HUGHES
Lady Collective | May 1, 2015
Philippa created the Pink Line Project to inspire creative thinking in everyone, to build community and connectivity, and to open portals to art and culture for the culturally curious. Her vision for DC: to change the way people view DC, both residents and visitors. DC is more than just institutions and politics; it’s filled with amazing people doing amazingly creative things using art, technology, and good-old fashioned ingenuity. Philippa publishes a weekly subscriber-based email that highlights the best of DC’s creative scene. It’s about cool people doing cool things.Philippa writes about arts and culture in DC and speaks about the power of art and personal choice to transform your life. She established a reputation for creating inventive and collaborative environments in which people who would not normally have the opportunity to interact with each other gather to experience art and culture in alternative and stimulating ways. She has been a leader in the creative and temporary use of vacant, urban space throughout the city. Read More.
Supernova on Arlington TV
Supernova | 2013
Supernova is a performance art festival that is an explosion of creativity in Rossyln. It's three days artists are coming from all over the world, over 80 of them. And they are just going to liven the streets of Rossyln with public art and they're just gonna do kinda weird, but really awesome things.
Together, patron and artist endure a live-in, week-long performance art project
The Washington Post | Kriston Capps | May 18, 2011
For a week-long art project that ended Sunday, D.C. collector and patron Philippa Hughes hosted Agnes Bolt, a Pittsburgh-based artist and graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, in her home. The visit, an art performance, was meant to test the boundaries of the artist-collector relationship. Read more.
Having a Girl Living in a Bubble Inside My Apartment for a Week Changed My Life
Americans for the Arts | Philippa P.B. Hughes | July 29, 2011
For one week, artist Agnes Bolt moved into the home of the very sociable and curious Philippa Hughes to playfully explore the dynamics between an artist and an art collector. With a naive optimism and subtle social critique the project manifested itself with a large obtrusive structure situated within Philippa’s home in which the artist lived.
The presence of the artist was impossible to ignore. A series of rules, exercises, communication systems, and bonding experiences dictated the interactions between the two and video cameras were given to both parties. Both were required to follow the rules but mischief and expectations of an open spirited dynamic was highly encouraged. Read more.
Home Story: An Art-Lover's Sanctuary
Capitol File | Jackie Kucinich | April 27, 2011
When Philippa Hughes went to London last year, she asked Zach Storm to cat-sit—and, if he felt like it, to decorate a wall in her 14th Street apartment. The result: Storm, a local artist, created a burst of colored geometric shapes that dashed across the ceiling of Hughes’ apartment, accented with little pink cotton-candy-like clouds. Hughes returned and loved it.
We're Talking With. . . Philippa P.B. Hughes
NEA Arts Magazine | Paulette Beete
Town and Country has dubbed her “a champion of under-the-radar artists” while the Washington Post has called her “an arch-organizer of all things arty.” If you ask Philippa P.B. Hughes herself, she’d probably answer with her job title at the Pink Line Project--Chief Creative Contrarian. In addition to having founded Pink Line—which might be described as part online local arts calendar, part local arts blog, and part presenter of live “happenings” large and small--Hughes is also a commissioner of the D.C. Arts and Humanities Commission, a council member of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and a board member of Barrelhouse Magazine and the Arlington (Virginia) Arts Center, just to name a few of her credentials. Read more.