October 10, 2025 • 8 mins
Today we’re joined by members of the Philadelphia Chapter of The Pierians, Inc. — Felicia Collins, Chapter President, and event Co-Chairs Meridel Peterson and Donna Drake. They’re here to share details about the Inaugural Scholarship Fashion Show and Live Arts Brunch, happening Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 12:00 PM at the Brossman Center, United Lutheran Seminary (7301 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia). This exciting event — featuring stunning fashions by local designer Azizza — raises funds to support emerging young artists in our community. Tickets are $70, and the venue offers parking and handicap accessibility.
✨ Event & Contact Information
✨ Event & Contact Information
- 🌐 Website: www.pierians.org
- 📸 Instagram: @philly_pierians_chapter
- 📘 Facebook: Philadelphia Chapter of the Pierians
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, and welcome to Insight, a show about empowering
our community. I'm Lorraine Ballard Marrel. We'll be talking with
Evelyn Torres, executive director of Action Wellness, about their decades
long commitment to improving the lives of people living with
and affected by HIV and other chronic illnesses. She also
shares details about their upcoming AIDE Walk Philly Retrospective celebration,
(00:21):
happening on Sunday, October nineteenth, an event honoring a legacy
of care, advocacy and community impact. Then we're joined by
Philadelphia City Council Member at Large, doctor Nina Ahmad, the
first South Asian American Muslim woman and immigrant to serve
on city Council. She'll be talking about her work advancing equity,
health and opportunity for all Philadelphians. But first we share
(00:44):
information on a group that supports the arts. Today, we
are joined by members of the Philadelphia Chapter of the
pie Aarians, Inc. Felicia Collins, Chapter President, and event co
chairs Meridelle Peterson and Donna Drake. They're co chairs of
an inaugural scholarship fashion show and live arts brunch happening
(01:04):
on Sunday, October nineteenth at twelve pm at the Brassmann
Center United Lutheran Seminary and will tell you more about
all of that. But first of all, I'm so excited
to talk about an organization that I want more people
to know about. So Felicia, tell us pie Arians, who
are you and what do you do?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well? We are so happy to be here and to
give you all the information about the pie Arians. Our
chapter was established out of the national organization which was
founded in nineteen fifty eight by Antsy Johnson out of
the Baltimore Chapter area, and so Baltimore, Maryland is where
(01:44):
the pie Ariians was born. And our chapter was established
in twenty twenty two by a few women that came
together in the Philadelphia area and we wanted to align
with the mission of the pie Arians, which was to
bring together persons of interest and the promotion of the
(02:05):
fine arts, artistic endeavors, and to enhance the enjoyment of
the arts, to recognize individuals in a community for their
contributions for the arts, and to encourage further studies by
promoting and giving scholarships to deserving students of music, art, theater,
(02:26):
and dance. We are very excited to be able to
help those young people in our community.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Well, that's wonderful because the arts are so important to
our community in ways that go beyond just to simply
enjoying the arts, but it's really something that supports education,
academic achievement, economic development, so many things. And that's why
you are here. And you're also going to be sponsoring
(02:54):
the inaugural Scholarship fashion Show and live art Brunch. And
I wonder, ladies, if you could tell us more. Donna
and Meredell tell us more about this event.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Well, it's interesting about this event. At one of our
chapter meetings, which was on Zoom mind You, we talked
about what we were going to do for our program year.
Miss Felicia was trying to get us all started up
and fired up, et cetera, and we talked a little
bit about our Scholarship brunch and how we would do it.
I had the misfortune or fortune of opening my mouth
(03:30):
and I ended up being a chair and then Meredell
chimed in and she became the co chair. So just
asking a.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Question, well that's always how it starts, right.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
So we had a lot of experience in putting together
some really lovely events for our singing groups, both our
individual groups and our choirs, and we thought, you know,
we can do this, and we had a wonderful venue
that we could take advantage of and a group of
women who were fired up to support us. And here
(04:05):
we are ready to have folks come in, enjoy a
lovely meal, listen to a young gentleman who is pursuing
a career in music who's still in high school, and
also to highlight a local designer, a Ziza. So we
are so excited and looking forward to it. Yes, we are.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Well, it sounds like a wonderful event. And I want
to ask you more about the fact that this event
benefits young artists and you're highlighting an honoree Robert Randolph.
Why did you decide to choose him as someone that
you'd like to shine a light on? Meredell? Can you
fill us in?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I can let you know that, as Nana mentioned, we're
both involved in musical groups choirs and have been for many,
many years. We both have a relationship and I have
to say I've known doctor j flu Ellen since he
was in the womb because his mother and I graduated
from high school together. But I contacted Jay and asked
(05:10):
him did he have a youth and told him what
we were doing. Originally we had thought about a jazz violinist,
but when I mentioned that to him, he said, well,
I don't have one, but I do have a young man,
and it was Robert. Once Jay sent me his information
and as soon as I talked to Donna, we said yes,
(05:32):
so I let Jay know he sent us this information
and he's very, very distinguished, as Jay said, so we're
really looking forward to having him Felicia.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Beyond this event, how does the Philadelphia Chapter of the
Piarians continue to support students in the arts throughout the year.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Throughout the year, we try and target opportunities where we
can showcase and bring more attention to young artists. In
the future, you'll probably be able to follow us and
see that we are planning an artist showcase in the spring.
We're also on location at theater events and we always
(06:13):
seek out whether someone is in need to be that
benefactor or to help out behind the scenes sometimes. So
you'll see us in the community, and you'll also be
able to tactic to find out more about us through
social media. But we have a lot of programs that's
in store, especially our scholarship, but this was just our
(06:37):
innaural one. We are so looking forward to it, but
please follow us, but we are definitely looking forward to
creating bigger and better programming for the arts theater and
for dance as well.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Well.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
It sounds like a lovely event to look forward to.
The inaugural Scholarship fashion show and live art Brunch Sunday,
October nineteenth at twelve noon at the Brassmann Center United
luther Seminary seventy three oh one Germantown Avenue, right here
in Philadelphia. And it's going to be a great event
supporting this organization that does so much for the arts.
(07:16):
Pi Arians is the name of the organization, and Meridell.
If people want more information about the event and also
about the organization as well, how do we find out
more about you?
Speaker 4 (07:29):
We have several social media sites. We have a website
which is ww dot Piarans dot org. We also have
a Facebook page which is Philadelphia Chapter of the Piarans
and you can get a lot of the information there.
(07:49):
And we also have an Instagram page and that's Philly
Underscore Pirians Underscore Chapter.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
All right, well, listen, I thank you all for joining
us here today and shining light on an organization that
uplifts the arts in our community. Philadelphia Chapter of the Piarians, Inc.
Felicia Collins, Chapter President, and event co chairs Meridell Peterson
and Donna Drake, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Thank you for having us, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
We'll have more insight after these messages
Good morning, and welcome to Insight, a show about empowering
our community. I'm Lorraine Ballard Marrel. We'll be talking with
Evelyn Torres, executive director of Action Wellness, about their decades
long commitment to improving the lives of people living with
and affected by HIV and other chronic illnesses. She also
shares details about their upcoming AIDE Walk Philly Retrospective celebration,
(00:21):
happening on Sunday, October nineteenth, an event honoring a legacy
of care, advocacy and community impact. Then we're joined by
Philadelphia City Council Member at Large, doctor Nina Ahmad, the
first South Asian American Muslim woman and immigrant to serve
on city Council. She'll be talking about her work advancing equity,
health and opportunity for all Philadelphians. But first we share
(00:44):
information on a group that supports the arts. Today, we
are joined by members of the Philadelphia Chapter of the
pie Aarians, Inc. Felicia Collins, Chapter President, and event co
chairs Meridelle Peterson and Donna Drake. They're co chairs of
an inaugural scholarship fashion show and live arts brunch happening
(01:04):
on Sunday, October nineteenth at twelve pm at the Brassmann
Center United Lutheran Seminary and will tell you more about
all of that. But first of all, I'm so excited
to talk about an organization that I want more people
to know about. So Felicia, tell us pie Arians, who
are you and what do you do?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Well? We are so happy to be here and to
give you all the information about the pie Arians. Our
chapter was established out of the national organization which was
founded in nineteen fifty eight by Antsy Johnson out of
the Baltimore Chapter area, and so Baltimore, Maryland is where
(01:44):
the pie Ariians was born. And our chapter was established
in twenty twenty two by a few women that came
together in the Philadelphia area and we wanted to align
with the mission of the pie Arians, which was to
bring together persons of interest and the promotion of the
(02:05):
fine arts, artistic endeavors, and to enhance the enjoyment of
the arts, to recognize individuals in a community for their
contributions for the arts, and to encourage further studies by
promoting and giving scholarships to deserving students of music, art, theater,
(02:26):
and dance. We are very excited to be able to
help those young people in our community.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Well, that's wonderful because the arts are so important to
our community in ways that go beyond just to simply
enjoying the arts, but it's really something that supports education,
academic achievement, economic development, so many things. And that's why
you are here. And you're also going to be sponsoring
(02:54):
the inaugural Scholarship fashion Show and live art Brunch. And
I wonder, ladies, if you could tell us more. Donna
and Meredell tell us more about this event.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Well, it's interesting about this event. At one of our
chapter meetings, which was on Zoom mind You, we talked
about what we were going to do for our program year.
Miss Felicia was trying to get us all started up
and fired up, et cetera, and we talked a little
bit about our Scholarship brunch and how we would do it.
I had the misfortune or fortune of opening my mouth
(03:30):
and I ended up being a chair and then Meredell
chimed in and she became the co chair. So just
asking a.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Question, well that's always how it starts, right.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
So we had a lot of experience in putting together
some really lovely events for our singing groups, both our
individual groups and our choirs, and we thought, you know,
we can do this, and we had a wonderful venue
that we could take advantage of and a group of
women who were fired up to support us. And here
(04:05):
we are ready to have folks come in, enjoy a
lovely meal, listen to a young gentleman who is pursuing
a career in music who's still in high school, and
also to highlight a local designer, a Ziza. So we
are so excited and looking forward to it. Yes, we are.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Well, it sounds like a wonderful event. And I want
to ask you more about the fact that this event
benefits young artists and you're highlighting an honoree Robert Randolph.
Why did you decide to choose him as someone that
you'd like to shine a light on? Meredell? Can you
fill us in?
Speaker 4 (04:47):
I can let you know that, as Nana mentioned, we're
both involved in musical groups choirs and have been for many,
many years. We both have a relationship and I have
to say I've known doctor j flu Ellen since he
was in the womb because his mother and I graduated
from high school together. But I contacted Jay and asked
(05:10):
him did he have a youth and told him what
we were doing. Originally we had thought about a jazz violinist,
but when I mentioned that to him, he said, well,
I don't have one, but I do have a young man,
and it was Robert. Once Jay sent me his information
and as soon as I talked to Donna, we said yes,
(05:32):
so I let Jay know he sent us this information
and he's very, very distinguished, as Jay said, so we're
really looking forward to having him Felicia.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Beyond this event, how does the Philadelphia Chapter of the
Piarians continue to support students in the arts throughout the year.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Throughout the year, we try and target opportunities where we
can showcase and bring more attention to young artists. In
the future, you'll probably be able to follow us and
see that we are planning an artist showcase in the spring.
We're also on location at theater events and we always
(06:13):
seek out whether someone is in need to be that
benefactor or to help out behind the scenes sometimes. So
you'll see us in the community, and you'll also be
able to tactic to find out more about us through
social media. But we have a lot of programs that's
in store, especially our scholarship, but this was just our
(06:37):
innaural one. We are so looking forward to it, but
please follow us, but we are definitely looking forward to
creating bigger and better programming for the arts theater and
for dance as well.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Well.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
It sounds like a lovely event to look forward to.
The inaugural Scholarship fashion show and live art Brunch Sunday,
October nineteenth at twelve noon at the Brassmann Center United
luther Seminary seventy three oh one Germantown Avenue, right here
in Philadelphia. And it's going to be a great event
supporting this organization that does so much for the arts.
(07:16):
Pi Arians is the name of the organization, and Meridell.
If people want more information about the event and also
about the organization as well, how do we find out
more about you?
Speaker 4 (07:29):
We have several social media sites. We have a website
which is ww dot Piarans dot org. We also have
a Facebook page which is Philadelphia Chapter of the Piarans
and you can get a lot of the information there.
(07:49):
And we also have an Instagram page and that's Philly
Underscore Pirians Underscore Chapter.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
All right, well, listen, I thank you all for joining
us here today and shining light on an organization that
uplifts the arts in our community. Philadelphia Chapter of the Piarians, Inc.
Felicia Collins, Chapter President, and event co chairs Meridell Peterson
and Donna Drake, thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Thank you for having us, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
We'll have more insight after these messages
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