Title
Honoring Philadelphia artist King Saladeen for his artistic contributions to Philadelphia and for his community advocacy through his foundation, Create Motivate Inspire.
Body
WHEREAS, Philadelphia native, Raheem Saladeen Johnson, professionally known as King Saladeen, has cultivated a creative and innovative way to conquer adversity and serve his community; and
WHEREAS, Johnson has had a knack for the arts since the young age of 5, beginning with drawing on the walls of his Southwest Philly bedroom; and
WHEREAS, In his earlier years, Saladeen directed his focus to playing basketball in high school. His talent on the court would take him places that had landscapes, shapes and colors that were vastly different than what the kid from Philly saw in his typical day to day. This exposed him to a broad range of artistic inspiration, and allowed him the ability to foster his artistic talent even though it was no longer in the forefront; and
WHEREAS, Saladeen was involved in an automobile accident that served as a catalyst in his return to his artistic roots, and even after exploring a NCAA basketball scholarship opportunity for two years he returned to his art; and
WHEREAS, Upon returning to Philadelphia, Saladeen worked as a design artist for a nationally recognized clothing company. After the sale of the company, he worked at the Philadelphia Area Youth Center where he made an impact creating unique art pieces that reflected the lives of center residents; and
WHEREAS, In 2011 Saladeen committed to art full time by starting the Saladeen Art Group after his dear friend, John "JP" Thompson, gifted him his first professional art kit. JP, a constant source of support for his artistic endeavors throughout his life, was eventually diagnosed with cancer and passed away. To honor his friend, he named JP's favorite painting "JP the Money Bear," and made the cartoon bear his signature and put it on paintings and figurines; and
WHEREAS, Following his first solo sho...
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