Goats are important animals to Zivia Brown ‘25. She is a long-time volunteer at the The Philly Goat Project, a local non-profit and urban goat farm, and her love of the animal extends into her artwork.
While studying at the University of the Arts last year, Brown took her first welding class and decided to make a five-foot metal sculpture of her favorite four-legged creature. The statue was installed in a university courtyard until the closure of UArts in June, when Brown and her mother removed it from the campus, brought it home and painted it orange (Brown’s favorite color).
Goat found a new home at Moore College of Art & Design, where Brown plans to complete her Illustration degree. Although the sculpture is new to campus, Brown is familiar with Moore as a former student of the College’s Young Artists Workshop (YAW).
Following UArts’ closure, Brown said she wanted to remain in her hometown of Philadelphia for her senior year. She chose Moore's Illustration program because of its small class sizes, faculty, and personalized instruction.
After The Philadelphia Inquirer published a story on Brown’s sculpture, Moore offered to host the sculpture at the College. In collaboration with Gabrielle Lavin Suzenski, Rochelle F. Levy Director & Chief Curator at Moore, Goat was put in place at Moore’s entrance in August. Reporters and cameras from news outlets like 6 ABC, FOX 29, and The Inquirer were in attendance to capture the big moment.
Several news outlets visited Moore's campus for the installation of Brown's sculpture.
“[The Moore team] really helped me streamline this process. Everyone has been very friendly and open about everything,” she said.
As she enters her final year of college at Moore, Brown says she looks forward to taking classes in children’s literature and working on her thesis project. She hopes her sculpture serves as a symbol of unity and fellowship for former UArts students.
“Having it in a public space means a lot to me. It was such a big project, and whenever people see it, it seems to make them happy. I love when my art can make people happy,” she said. “For it to be in a place where I and other artists may recognize it from UArts, it’s like a little beacon of familiarity.”
Read more about Brown’s transition from Moore in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.
Moore College of Art & Design is the only independent art and design college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Want to learn about the Illustration program at Moore? Contact our Admissions team at enroll@moore.edu or 215.965.4015 to set up a call or a campus visit. We’d love to tell you more!
