At A Glance
What: This fall, Ms. Nandi Muhammad, community leader and artist, was named The Village’s inaugural Elder Fellow. The Elder Fellow position honors and formalizes Ms. Nandi’s leadership role within The Village, and creates a pathway for other community members in the future to step into a formalized advising capacity.
Why: Since we first met Ms. Nandi through the SPACES Artist in Residence program in 2015, she has become a trusted advisor to Village staff, students and community members.
Who: Nandi and her husband Khalid are long-time community activists, educators and proprietors of the neighborhood Penny Candy Store, where they teach black history, art, and life skills to young people after school. Nandi is an accomplished fiber artist, commissioned to create the large exhibition banners for the 2017 Philadelphia Museum of Art show Philadelphia Assembled. She is a 2019 recipient of the PACDC Community Leader award.
How: Nandi holds regular office hours for community members and staff to consult with her at our community storefront, where she also hosts arts-and-crafts evenings for local families. Ms. Nandi offers a unique, grounding perspective to our planning conversations, rooted in decades of community care and staying power within the community.
“If you want to talk, I’m here to listen. If you want to listen, I’m here to talk.”
— Nandi Muhammad
Visit Nandi at her open hours at The Village Community Storefront!
