Somehow I missed this up till now but Philadelphia has an amazing assortment of street art with giant murals covering walls throughout the city. The Mural Arts Program began in 1984 as a component of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, an effort spearheaded to eradicate the graffiti crisis plaguing the city. The Anti-Graffiti Network hired muralist Jane Golden to reach out to graffiti writers and to redirect their energies from destructive graffiti writing to constructive mural painting. Now 30 years later there are over 3600 murals throughout the city. I got a small taste of them by following the City Center walking tour, which is a self guide walk by 14 murals. Each mural has a plaque and a phone number that you can call to listen to an interview with the artist about the inspiration for the piece and who helped them do it. A big component of the project is to involve community members in the creation of the work. It was a touching experience to listen to the stories.
All in all, I have heard that Philadelphia has made great strides to attract artists by subsidizing housing and rehearsal space and seeing art EVERYWHERE showed they take this seriously. I have always loved Philly, but I now feel a deeper excitement about its vibrancy. I can't wait to go back when the snow isn't falling and the wind isn't blowing and explore other neighborhoods and see their art.
Click HERE to see an online album of some of the marvelous murals on Philadelphia's streets
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