Using marketing as their medium, artist duo Escobar-Morales founded AMerican MEdia Output (AMO) in 2011 as a platform for addressing issues affecting the Latino community. A hybrid of performance art, brand design, and social media engagement, AMerican MEdia Output creates fictitious marketing campaigns in response to such topics as immigration reform, identity politics, and gentrification.
With support from the James L. Knight Foundation, Taller Puertorriqueño commissioned AMO in 2017 to develop a brand identity campaign for the Fairhill neighborhood as a follow up to their 2014 Yo Soy Oro campaign, which focused on El Centro de Oro. After a round of focus groups with community residents and outsiders, AMO developed and soft-launched Found in Fairhill with live marketing at public events, a website, and social media channels, engaging the public through surveys, bookmaking, photography, and giveaways. Found in Fairhill brand ambassadors reached over 40,000 people in its first year and continues to grow.
Found in Fairhill invites people to showcase and learn about the rich culture and diverse community of Fairhill. Visit FoundinFairhill.com to read about local businesses, events, and community initiatives. Browse the interactive map for restaurants, shops and cultural centers. Found in Fairhill is participatory. Locals are encouraged to submit points of interest to the map and help it grow. Found in Fairhill is social. You can follow Found in Fairhill on Facebook and Instagram, hashtag your neighborhood photos and events #FoundinFairhill for a chance to be featured, and share your moments with others. Use the Found in Fairhill Snapchat community geofilter when youâre in the area and share your stories with friends.
Are you a community member? A local business owner? A Philadelphian? A traveler? AMO wants you to connect online and in person to highlight all the music, art, beauty, food, family, and fun that can be Found in Fairhill.
Escobar-Morales is a collaboration between Maya Escobar and Andria Morales. They produce digital media and performance art that explores the role of self-representation in visual culture. Their work has been exhibited at the National Popular Culture Association Conference, San Antonio; Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference, Chicago; SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco; Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis; Gallery Aferro, Newark; Jolie Laide Gallery and the Painted Bride, Philadelphia.
