She’s living her life like it’s ‘Golden,’ and now North Philly’s own Grammy Award-winning singer and movie/TV star, Jill Scott, will shine even brighter in a new artwork.
Renowned visual artist Patrick Dougher, under the direction of Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia and an acclaimed artist herself, brought the work to life.
Mural Arts Philadelphia, the nation’s largest public art program, along with Philadelphia High School for Girls (better known as Girls’ High), honored Scott and unveiled the design of the new mural to celebrate the 176th anniversary of Girls’ High and the accomplishments of the women who graduated from its halls; including “Jilly from Philly,” Ms. Jill Scott.
When WHYY News asked Scott how she responded to seeing herself featured on a mural painted on the building of her alma mater, she paused and said, “I don’t know what it’s going to do, I just know it means a lot to me.”
Over 700 students cheered and applauded as the mural was unveiled in the school auditorium on Thursday.
The mural features Scott wearing a golden crown, and depicts her passing on replicas of her crown to Girls’ High scholars. The Latin phrase “vincit qui se vincit” is placed under Scott and translates to “He (she) conquers who conquers himself (herself).”
During a sit-down interview following the event, Scott became emotional when asked about the significance of the honor, and how it compares to the many other awards and recognition she’s received in her 20-plus-year career.
“I didn’t see it coming,” said Scott as she wiped a tear and explained the news of the tribute reminded her of her time at the school, and growing up in North Philly, some moments were better than others.
“Because I remember eating a lot of potatoes, and that’s not a complaint because we made it work, we laughed, and we listened to music, and we talked,” said Scott.
“I grew up very joyful and very loved. We just had some financial trouble, [it] happens.”
