CURRENTLY ON VIEW | Redefining Democracy in Red, White, Black, and Blue
Walter Francis Elling’s latest series is titled Redefining Democracy in Red, White, Black, and Blue. With homage to Jasper Johns, Elling uses actual flags as canvases to provoke a response to issues of race and queer liberation. Spray-painted messages interweave with a color-altered geometric landscape of the flags themselves, transforming the geometry of the stars and stripes into visual symbols that reimagine patriotism.
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Painted USA Flag I, 2021, USA flag and spray paint, 30" x 47" x 1.5"
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Painted USA Flag IV (with Liberty and Justice Fredrick 2021, USA flag and spray paint, oil paint and masks 58" x 30" x 1"
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Painted USA Flag V , 2021, USA flag and spray paint, 37" x 63" x 1" without pole or stand
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Painted USA Flag VI, 2021, USA flag and spray paint, 30" x 55" x .75"
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Painted USA Flag VII 2021, USA flag and spray paint, 55" x 22.25" x .75"
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Painted USA Flag VIII, 2021, USA flag and spray paint, 30" x 40" x 2.25"
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Painted USA Flag X, (Saint George of Minneapolis) oil paint on trash picked flag, 24.25" x 36" framed with glass
Opening Reception
Friday, September 11, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Arch Street Meeting House (320 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19106)
On Friday, September 11, 2026, enjoy the opening reception for the inaugural Art at Arch Street Meeting House installation by Walter Francis Elling, Redefining Democracy in Red, White, Black, and Blue.
Contact Walter Francis Elling
WALTER FRANCIS ELLING
Walter Francis Elling is an American artist who works in a variety of mediums, including assemblage, photomontage, and painting. His early work in ceramics grew out of a fascination with organic forms, using both thrown and hand-built techniques, and developed into works with political, racial, and queer commentary.
His recent work is a commentary on cultural norms and political justice. Using spray paint, found objects, and photo-montage, Elling references religious iconography, political messaging, and graffiti to create a tension between the real and the ideal.
Walter Francis, originally from Illinois, now makes Philadelphia his home. He has served as artist-in-residence and summer school teacher at Pendle Hill, and has assistant taught at the Fleisher Art Memorial and the Wayne Art Center. His work has been shown at juried shows at the Mulvane Art Center in Topeka, KS, and at the William Way Center in Philadelphia, and is part of the permanent collection of the Sabatini Gallery of the Topeka and Shawnee County Library.
Art at Arch Street Meeting House is an exhibition program that invites regional, national, and international artists and community organizations to display 2D artwork in the Reception Room of Arch Street Meeting House (ASMH).
Art at Arch Street Meeting House transforms three walls of ASMH's Reception Room into a platform for community-based artwork. It provides an opportunity for Philadelphia’s diverse cultural organizations to present their artistic expressions and use the visual arts to amplify community voices and foster healing and community dialogue.
The program is committed to presenting a wide range of ideas and artistic explorations to showcase the important role the arts play in our communities.
About ART @Arch Street Meeting House
Be Our Next Featured Artist
Applications are currently closed until November 1, 2026, and will remain open through January 1, 2027.
Contact ASMHPT
For more information about the Art at Arch Street Meeting House program, please email Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust.
For questions about art sales or more information about the work currently on view, please contact the artist directly.