Mural Arts Program Supporter/Shoprite-Colligas Family Markets

Jim Colligas

“When we purchased our Shoprite store, the first thing we thought is, ‘this wall needs a mural.’ We wanted to see a mural about South Philly—the way it used to be and the way it is now. We hung designs from two artists so our customers could choose which design they’d like to see in their neighborhood. Mural projects like this one really bring together the neighborhoods with the businesses, which is so important. Once we got the mural up, we got a lot of comments. We get a chance to talk to people about murals and what they really mean. If I was to try and describe the Mural Arts Program in very few words, I would say that it allows people to express their passion in visible terms. It helps to keep neighborhoods clean, people just take pride in the fact that there is a mural there and they work together to keep everything else clean!” Photo credit: Steve Weinik

Muralist/MAP Tour Guide

Tjai Abdullah

"People can give up on their own neighborhood, and the Mural Arts Program allows them to become reinvested. With Mural Arts I go into neighborhoods most people don't go into...we go into those streets and translate the pain (or the happiness) and give the people a voice...or be their voice. Even when I am hurting inside I know that working on a project may heal someone else's wound therefore paying forward the healing of my own. The best project i have ever worked on is every project I work on because the Mural Arts Program is about communities. I get to contribute to the progression of a community every time I get hired for a project. As a tour guide I get to keep alive the history of communities throughout Philadelphia and as a muralist I get to translate and hopefully contribute to the future of communities. The Mural Arts Program is inspiring; I'm glad we get a month to celebrate its artists and programs." Photo credit: Jennifer McCreary

City of Philadelphia Recycling Truck Driver

Jeffrey Curry

“When [residents] see this truck they come running out with the recycling. They come out with their kids and I honk the horn for them. I’ve got 30 or 40 fans along my route.” Photo credit: Steve Weinik

Church of Philadelphia

Reverend Carmen Dibiase

“When we first talked to [Executive Director] Jane Golden, we told her we want to create a mural that would represent our mission at the church. We want to find a hurt and heal it; find a need and fill it. That sentiment is so important to the church and so deeply embedded in the heart of its work that the phrase is engraved on the mural… We have always worked with inmates, and let the community know our doors were open to all. That’s what we’re all about: offering a second chance. It worked so well with the mural that Jon Laidacker had in mind.” Photo credit: Steve Weinik

Commissioner, Dept. of Behavioral Health/Intellectual disAbility Services

Dr. Arthur C. Evans, PhD

“[The Porch Light Initiative] involves community-building, art education, and restorative justice programming. As a result, these projects help to build stronger community connections while improving the behavioral health of the entire community. The murals also address stigma which often prevents people from seeking help...This series of murals promotes healing and growth through the arts while highlighting far-reaching social issues.”

Market President for Bank of America

Tom Woodward

"Having lived and worked in Philadelphia for over 25 years, I have experienced first-hand what the Mural Arts Program has come to represent in our neighborhoods and I am among the thousands of people who experience and enjoy the murals. What I have come to appreciate the most about Mural Arts, however, is the positive ripple effect that takes place when a mural is created through the coming together of neighborhoods and community groups, as well as the programs that provide art education in our schools or the re-entry opportunities for ex-offenders. This is the real multiplier effect that continues to have a positive, lasting impact in our community. From volunteering to paint a mural, to funding community programming like the Bank of America FREE Tour Series, in my role as Market President for Bank of America I have had an up-close and personal connection with the work of Mural Arts. Seeing a project go from an idea, through the community process, to fruition is a testament to the determination of Jane and her team. I also like to engage with the murals in my travels around the city – always stopping to look up - and always reminded of the profound impact the program has had on the continued vitality of our community."

Mural Tour Guide & CBS3 News Reporter

Jim Donovon

“I found out about the Mural Arts Program the first day I moved to Philadelphia. I was lost. It was snowing, it was a gray day and no one could give me directions. I moved to a new city from very far away and I was questioning the move. And then I saw the mural on 20th and Arch streets, Reach High and You Will Go Far. I thought, ‘Someone is trying to tell me something.’ I am a very big believer in Karma—if you put good energy out, you get good energy back. As a result of seeing the mural, I knew that I wanted to give back. Being a tour guide is a great way for me to introduce one of the city’s most visible secrets. A lot of Philadelphians—lifelong residents, don’t have a clue about the murals and the tourists walk away with something unique that other cities don’t have.” Photo credit: Steve Weinik

President & CEO of Uptown Entertainment

Linda Richardson

“The theater’s rich history in Philadelphia is based on the fact that it was part of what is known as the Chitlin Circuit [a nickname derived from the pork dish eaten called Chitterlings], which was the entertainment circuit that African American entertainers used because of segregation in mainstream entertainment. And the Uptown Theater was part of the probably end of the Chitlin Circuit. One of the things that happened when we unveiled the mural was that we also, through our efforts, got the City to name the street for Georgie Woods. So we had an unveiling of the mural, the street renaming, and we recreated an actual concert, so it was a very, very, very exciting activity that basically helped to get much more broader support than had the mural not gone up on the building, so it really did help to energize the neighborhood.” Photo credit: Linda Li

Chief Cultural Officer

Gary Steuer

“Mural Arts inspires in me the notion the idea that art can be both beautiful and inspirational AND can also transform lives and communities. It does not (or does not HAVE to) diminish artistic excellence to also be pursuing other social goals. It is a huge challenge to strike this balance - to both stay true to the art and artists, and to the idea of directly improving people's lives. Living with and accepting this challenge is at the core of what Mural Arts does.”

Muralist

David Guinn

“The murals I like best represent a moment of soulfulness in the city. I see murals as art and a person’s vision that comes through. I really like Parris Stancell’s work. He’s fully invested in his artwork, and the design is kind of open. I definitely want to please the community, and I like to keep the design loose so that I can absorb the experience of being in the community and put that into the mural. I don’t necessarily feel like I have the role of addressing specific community problems or having a political element. I’d like to provide a subtle moment that would be fulfilling to the spirit- uplifting in that way.” Photo credit: Jack Ramsdale

Director at Campus Philly

Ashlie Thornbury

“Mural Arts has changed the quality of life for all Philly residents - including me. My neighborhood finally felt the positive effects of what a beautiful mural can bring about ten years ago. Douglas High School, the old, drab, muted brick building that served as the central station of our little nook of the city was selected for a colorful, culturally inspired mural. Already familiar with Mural Arts at the time, I remember feeling so excited that the "mural movement" had finally reached us. I felt proud. And inspired. And finally connected to the rest of the mural family.” Photo credit: Emily Ianacone

Artist/Weaver/ Muralist

Kathryn Pennepacker

“What's been interesting about this project [Finding Home] is we're trying to make bring light to issues of homelessness. What makes this project quite fascinating is that individuals are writing their story onto the strips of fabric before we weave it into the piece [mural]. And so the canvas actually has the spirit, the message, the hope, the stories, of everyone that's been working on this project. The hand that you see there on the left that says ‘Finding Home is where I feel I'm family’ and the top areas of the mural, says "Visible." It also says "Invisible." And then on the right side, "Dignity." There's dignity when you feel like you're being seen. And if you move over to the farther right side of the mural, you've got all the hands coming together, which is community coming together.”

Artist & Instructor

Yisrawayl Goodwin

“...Someone could be having the worst day in the world and you see a mural that says You Give the World More Color and hopefully that puts a smile on your face. And this is why I do what I do, I have something to share, the kids have something to share and that’s why I work in this [Mural Arts Art Education] program.”

Muralist, Instructor

Eric Okdeh

“They [Mural Arts art education students] are fortunate to be in this program. They are from bad neighborhoods, just like I was, and their circumstances are pretty dire. There’s so much more to art than the Whitney Biennial. I think art in a gallery is limiting. Something about it was not for me. So much hobnobbing, it seemed kind of false. I like the idea that in Philadelphia, you can see art right around the corner. Community-based work is much more inviting.” Photo credit: David Graham