( June 23, 2023 - March 5, 2024)

Philadelphia creative Serena Saunders grew up in an urban section of the city. She is a full-time mother raising her family in Philly, an educator, and a community arts organizer. Teaching youth, Saunders said that she encouraged them to “reach the stars” in her effort to foster their curiosity, and, that far too often, she “found uninspired imaginations.” Because for her, “art is one of the strongest love languages.”

Saunders is fortunate to experience that passion, that ability to process life through creativity, to visually communicate a story, and it’s her desire to share that with others. Saunders said that she works to “soar in any endeavor that I embark on” and she wants “all of us to fly,” to fly in life.

Saunders best described her aspirational outlook when she wrote, “There is something to be said about accomplishing what you’ve only dreamt of. Landing that coveted window seat and looking out above the clouds does exactly that. Now, travel to new places is accessible to more people like me. Now, my little brown girl from urban Philadelphia travels by imagination and airplanes to places all over the world amid a unified ebb and flow of colors, languages, and destinations.”   

We’re Going Up Together is a painting that embodies what Saunders is best known for—a vibrant color palette; bold and graphic forms; undulating shapes; overflowing energy; and joyful wonderment. It’s powerful in its presence yet welcoming in its exuberance.

Saunders refers to herself as a “Mompreneur.” She is a full-time professional artist “who balances studio life with home” and founder/lead artist of PassionArt Designs.    

Visit mspassionart.com.