Viva il Papa

Pope Francis Coming to POSH!

Scranton Residents View the Official Licensed Portraits of Pope Francis and Meet Artist Perry Milou, Who was Destined to Paint the Masterworks, on October 2^nd from 5-8 p.m.

POSH @ The Scranton is proud to host American Pop Artist Perry Milou and his iconic collection of Pope Francis paintings created to celebrate the pontiff’s historic visit to the U.S.

Milou’s collection, entitled The Faces of Francis (five original oil paintings), are on display at the World Meeting of Families Congress this week at the PA Convention Center. But for one night only, Scranton residents will get a chance to see the portraits, as well as an assortment of apparel and gifts, during a special meet and greet reception with the artist on Friday, October 2^nd from 5- 8 p.m. Milou will be on hand to sign copies of prints and talk about the inspiration behind his works of art.

“My grandfather, born in South Philadelphia, is named Francis DeFrancesco. I was born on St. Francis Day (October 4^th). My wife’s name is Angela. My mother is Angel. My father in-law is Angelo. My daughter is Francesca,” he explains. “There are no coincidences. That’s why I had to do this!”

Eight hours after setting up his easel, “A Prayer for Peace”, a 40″ x 30″ oil on linen master work was completed.  Milou says he wanted the Pope expressing Peace, Love and Equality by blowing a kiss not just to Philadelphia, but to the World.

Milou’s two paintings: “A Prayer for Peace”; and “The Holy Day”, which depicts Pope Francis in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the location of the public mass on Sunday, September 27^th, have been exclusively licensed by the World Meeting of Families and Aramark. His images of the Holy Father are emblazoned on t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, lithographs and posters to commemorate the historic occasion.

Milou, a brain tumor survivor, calls it a case of divine artistic intervention, which is why he’s donating 100% of proceeds from the sale of “A Prayer for Peace” to charity.

“As an artist I feel I am obligated to give back. I know in my heart that Pope Francis would want the money raised from this piece to be given back to the people,” Milou said.

In November of 2004 Milou was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and on March 23, 2005 he underwent a 10-hour surgery to remove it. The tumor turned out to be benign, but the experience altered his perspective and changed his life forever. The artist feels blessed to have endured that, and incredibly lucky to have survived it with his quality of life intact. As a result of that scare, Perry has become intensely focused on philanthropy, and over the past decade has donated his time and artwork to a host of charities including The Hamels Foundation, The Ronald McDonald House, Bringing Hope Home, Mission Kids, and dozens of other charities throughout the Philadelphia region.

Perry Milou is considered a prolific “Fine-Pop” artist, a phrase coined from combining illustration and fine art techniques. Milou has painted world leaders and pop icons including Robin Williams, President Obama and Nelson Mandela. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, and received his BFA from the University of Arizona. Perry currently lives in Washington Crossing, PA with his wife, daughter and newborn son.

Learn more about artist Perry Milou, and view a short video showcasing the artist’s unprecedented connection to Pope Francis’ visit to the United States by visiting http://perrymilou.com.

Learn more about POSH @ The Scranton Club by visiting http://poshatsc.com.

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