Wall Watch

“Henry Ossawa Tanner is the Jackie Robinson of the art world, the Barack Obama of painting,” artist Keir Johnston said at the dedication of his latest mural, Henry Ossawa Tanner: Letters of Influence. Johnston was first exposed to the painter’s talent as a child, when his father pointed out a Tanner print hanging on the wall of their Germantown home. Since then, Johnston has come to learn more about the struggle the famed African American painter endured in order to have his work recognized by established art institutions. Inspired by how “Tanner didn’t...get the respect he deserved,” in his own hometown, Johnston approached the Mural Arts Program about transforming a Philadelphia wall in Tanner’s honor. Before a diverse audience at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), the muralist said he was “humbled to be able to represent Tanner” share him with the city of Philadelphia.

Located at 2019 College Avenue, the completed mural contains text gathered from letters written by Johnston’s contemporaries as well as students from Saint Gabriel’s Hall--a residential treatment center for adjudicated male youth--about what Tanner’s life and work means to them. John Mulroney, principal of St. Gabriel’s, spoke of the impact working on this project had on his high school students. “Our guys need art as a shot in the arm of creativity, creativity that has been washed away into the streets by a culture of violence. Art is their outlet,” he said. Mulroney went on to discuss the strong partnership that Mural Arts’ Restorative Justice Program has with his facility and how projects like Henry Ossawa Tanner: Letters of Influence prepares some of the students to continue work in public artmaking after graduation. Johnston added that, “art should be in students’ lives. As an instructor, you can truly see the effect it has when students can create their own realities. It’s like shining a light that had previously been extinguished.”

Alongside the mural project, PAFA is currently exhibiting an expertly curated, broad range of Tanner’s work in their Fisher Brooks Gallery. On Sunday, attendees participated in a family painting activity and experienced the exhibition, which will travel to Ohio and Texas after April 15. After the exhibition has moved on to other locations, Johnston hopes that his mural on College Avenue will continue to remind Philadelphians of Henry Tanner’s important place in the city’s history of art.

Mural Arts Executive Director summed up the project, partnership with St. Gabriel’s, and exhibition perfectly when she said, “there lies talent and creativity that has gone unrecognized.”

Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit Exhibition: January 28- April 15, 2012
Fisher Brooks Gallery, Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Mural funded by the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services and the US Department of Justice

Mary Kate O’Keefe

If you aren’t familiar with the work of world-renowned poet Sonia Sanchez, you need to check out Mural Arts’ newest mural project. On the evening of November 13th, quiet music played as more than 150 people gathered for the launch of Peace is a Haiku Song Mural Project at Christ Church at 2nd and Market Streets in Old City. In collaboration with the First Person Festival, Mural Arts hosted an evening honoring Sonia Sanchez filled with dancing, music, and poetry reading.

First Person Arts Executive Director Vicki Solot kicked-off the event reminding the audience that “it’s important to give people the respect they deserve,” which is part of First Person Arts’ mission. She introduced a common theme for the evening, saying that “everyone, everywhere, should have art in their life.”

Members of FlyGround dance group swiftly passed through the aisles to a louder, rhythmic beat in their debut performance. Called “Mining Black Water,” the performance featured choreography that connected each dancer’s whole body from their head to the tips of their fingers. As described to audience members, the piece was meant to resemble the flow and cleansing properties of water and water as a conduit of peace.

When Ms. Sanchez took the stage, she captivated attendees, speaking softly at first so that the audience noticeably leaned-in to focus on her words. She told a few stories and performed an original work with Odene Pope. 

Sanchez introduced the concept of using haiku to capture a moment and the feeling in that moment. She urged the audience to slow down and listen to the world around them in the name of peace. She said, “help us open this peace box here in Philadelphia.” 

The evening ended with audience members sharing their original haiku; some were funny, some dark, some contained questions, some were simple, and some complex. 

What would your haiku for peace sound like? Share your original haiku on peace.muralarts.org for a chance to have your words be a part of the mural project! While you’re on the website, take time to read Ms. Sanchez’s work as well as poems submitted by others from around the globe. 

Sponsor: City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services

Partner: First Person Arts 

-Laura Edgar

Palpable Philadelphia pride electrified Headhouse square Monday morning as a large audience sipped coffee and listened with excitement as Mayor Michael Nutter, Mural Arts Executive Director Jane Golden, and Philly’s own celebrated hip-hop trailblazers The Roots announced the program’s new – and possibly boldest—project to-date.

Recently rated by Travel + Leisure as number one in overall culture above any other American city, Philadelphia is home to an extensive amount of art in both private and public spaces, including more than 3,500 accessible murals, with yet another impressive addition on the way.

Philadelphians now have more reason than ever to root for their hometown, as two well-loved Philly institutions- The Roots and the Mural Arts Program- come together to work on an ambitious eight-month project that will include a large-scale mural, pop-up studio, a “Roots 101” curriculum for youth, an online interaction component, and city-wide engagement through community paint days.

Monday’s press conference revealed that the mural will become a fixture along South Street (the stomping ground where Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson had their start in 1987.) Trotter and Roots keyboardist Kamal Grey represented the iconic band and spoke about the group’s humble beginnings, passion for innovation, and love for their native city.

GRAMMY® Award-winners and house band for “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on NBC, The Roots have an extensive fan base around the world and are especially valued by Philadelphians. They have influenced countless artists for several generations, including Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Mos Def, Jay-Z, Jill Scott, John Legend, Common and many more. The group has produced a staggering twelve albums with their latest record- Undun- slated for release on December 6, 2011.

An avid Roots supporter, Mayor Nutter even divulged that he often begins and ends his day by listening to their songs on his mp3 player. He said The Roots have been “kicking it” since their formation in the 1980s and is looking forward to seeing a mural that will give the band public recognition for the breadth of their accomplishments.

The crowd laughed along with Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter as he mentioned participating in the graffiti epidemic that spurred the Anti-Graffiti Network and, consequently, the Mural Arts Program. Trotter said, “I had scrub time, you know what I’m saying?   I went before Judge Reynolds back in the day, and he said, ’150 hours,’ so I had to do these murals. So it’s such an amazing blessing and so ironic for a legal mural to be going up of The Roots.”

In partnership with Sports and Entertainment Financial Group, LLC (SEFG), Mural Arts will showcase and commemorate the ensemble’s prominent place in Philadelphia’s rich music history with this larger-than-life mural, a project sponsored by the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services.

Call for artist proposals for this project: http://muralarts.org/about/jobs-artist-opportunities (The deadline is Monday, November 21, 2011!)

-Mary Kate O’Keefe

On Tuesday September 13th at the Urban Outfitters Headquarters, Anthropologie hosted a celebration with artist Tim Simmons to announce the launch of the Urban Land Project. The project, which is sponsored by Philadelphia-based Anthropologie, brings Simmons’ large-scale photography-based murals to Philadelphia’s public art sphere. Mural Arts helped identify key locations in the city’s Northern Liberties neighborhood for the placement of Simmons’ six murals.

The artist uses light in his photographs for focus the viewer’s attention on the most important element in each of his pieces. Each landscape he captures is designed to be a glimpse into his personal view of the land, a place that “just feels right” to him. His work is emotional and riveting; his use of bright colors and unexpected lighting surprises viewers, prompting a second look. 

During the event, Simmons spoke about the need for art in the public realm in the United States. He alluded to the overbearing use of advertising in public spaces, utilizing graphics for promotion, but the lack of public art to beautify the same spaces. His participation in this project brings a fresh perspective to the mural culture in Phiadelphia.

If you haven’t seen the Philadelphia Urban Land Project’s public installations in person, they can be viewed online at http://www.theanthropologist.net/#/UrbanLandProject. There, you can find pictures of the six murals and the three billboards, along with a map of their locations.

-Laura Edgar

On Saturday, August 27, 2011, residents of Project H.O.M.E., community members, artists, and other guests attended a special gathering to celebrate the completion of the first year of the Porch Light Initiative. Through a series of public art projects the Porch Light Initiative strives to improve behavioral health in Philadelphia neighborhoods. Braving the promise of an impending hurricane, participants showcased their artwork and transformation in a carefully-composed, museum-like exhibit.

Stepping into the Installation Room, guests were greeted by colorful origami boxes dangling from the ceiling. Sculptures lined the tables and walls, taking the form of clay masks or paper houses flickering with light; every piece looked as if it held a story.

For five months, about 15 program participants met with a team of talented artists for a series of structured workshops. The core group was usually comprised of children of the adults placed in the residence of Project H.O.M.E., but occasionally parents attended. Artists Keir Johnston, Colette Fu, Perry Vision, and Nina Lyrispect brought their expertise and energy, providing instruction in spoken word, poetry, origami, screen printed shirts, clay sculpture, painting, and other mediums. Further adding to the experience, guest artists sometimes instructed the group; including a tap dancer and a magician, to name a few.

Like many Mural Arts programs, the art that was produced by the Porch Light Initiative is not the only element of this story. The featured pieces represented a larger, personal process and evolution that occurred over the months-long journey for each member the group. As described by the artists, the most notable outcome of the project was the growth of the group; once quiet, at the end they freely encouraged each other to share and articulate the feelings they were more apt to hide, or may not have even known existed.

On Saturday, the mutual respect between artist and student was evident in the celebration as Nina, and later a student, passionately recited their spoken word pieces to an engaged audience. Later, plans for the continuation of the Porch Light Initiative were announced, including a new mural project planned for Ridge Avenue to be installed in the spring of 2012 during phase two of the Porch Light Initiative.

-Laura Edgar