Mural Arts Tour

At the recent 2021 SEGD annual conference, I took a tour of the Philadelphia Mural Arts program. In just a few city blocks adjacent to conference headquarters (at the iconic PSFS building, now a high rise hotel), we encountered nearly a dozen extraordinary works of public art. The highly original murals bring focus to community concerns. In talking about their process, the Mural Arts staffer leading the tour revealed what it takes to bring the artworks into being. Not only does Mural Arts create the gateway between community and artists, the staff provides an impressive level of support to artists navigating logistics and technical challenges once a project is under way.

The Philadelphia Mural Arts program was founded in 1984 by human dynamo and SEGD presenter Jane Golden. Today, Jane leads the organization as a voice for the rainbow of communities that make up Philadelphia’s urban population. Quoting the organization’s website, “With a robust portfolio of 50–100 public art projects each year and ongoing core programs in education, restorative justice, mental health, and public art and civic engagement, Mural Arts’ work and the incredible resulting outdoor gallery are an inseparable, iconic part of the city’s civic landscape.”

Artists Lend Profile in the Service of Social Justice

A recent addition to the portfolio is the newly installed mural by Amy Sherald: a portrait of a young Philadelphian overcoming early setbacks. With the intention of lifting up area youth coping with family trauma, the artist captures her subject’s strength and clear-eyed outlook in this compelling portrait. Sherald's portrait of Michelle Obama resides in the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C. Another mural, showcasing criminal justice reform, by street artist (and Barak Obama campaign portraitist) Shepard Fairey commands a wall near the elevated Rail Park. Both artists lend strong credibility to the messages they helped craft.

Find out more about this outstanding city program, or sign up for a tour (highly recommend!) at https://www.muralarts.org/

#philadelphia #SEGDconf #howphillieseesphillie