A mosaic celebrating the signing of our Constitution, “We the People,” will be on display when the first presidential debate of 2024 takes place tonight at the National Constitution Center in Center City. The artist, Jonathan Mandell, enjoys a rich history with Delaware Valley University that spans generations.

The Samuel P. Mandell Science Building was built on DelVal’s campus in 1966 due in large part to the generosity of the Mandell family. Samuel, Jonathan’s grandfather, was a trustee of the institution from 1962 until his death in 1978. Jonathan’s father, Dr. Morton S. Mandell, was Chairman of DelVal’s board of trustees in the 1990s. Support for the institution continues now through a third generation with Jonathan, a well-known mosaic artist whose works appear in numerous public places, including DelVal’s campus, as well as the homes of private collectors and art galleries in Pennsylvania and beyond.

When the National Constitution Center opened in 2007, Jonathan Mandell was commissioned to create a piece to celebrate this achievement. Mandell worked with in-house historian Stephen Frank to shape the content for the artwork.

“We really wanted it to be focused on the Constitution and the various rights, privileges, and responsibilities that it provides to the citizenry, without having any kind of political leaning one way or another,” said Mandell. “So we have images of individuals who in some way enhanced our constitutional rights.”

The mosaic features imagery of Clarence Gideon; immigrants looking at the Statue of Liberty from Ellis Island; Seneca Indian leader Osceola; a jury panel; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; a woman voting; a scene of people in protest; a first responder; an image of Brown vs. Board of Education; and a Japanese-American soldier.

Mandell and Frank also had the education of youths in mind while creating the piece. A horizontal stretch of the 10-foot-by-6-foot mosaic, which is at eye level for kids, features the three branches of government that were defined by the Constitution with Mandell’s beautiful mosaic interpretation of the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Supreme Court Building. These are set atop a mirror so that kids can see themselves reflected in the government. The bottom of the piece features the preamble of the Constitution in 18th-century script text meticulously put together by Mandell with fine pieces of black tile. The mosaic remains on permanent display at the National Constitution Center.

Mandell’s other notable work includes mosaics made for Philadelphia Family Court, SEPTA’s Cecil B. Moore Station, National Liberty Museum, Citizens Bank Park, Bryn Mawr Hospital, and many more.

Currently, a gallery of Mandell’s work is on display at the local Silverman Gallery in Buckingham.

Learn more about Jonathan Mandell and Delaware Valley University.