Art in the street: A pair of ground murals in South Philadelphia

Mural Arts Philadelphia is working with the South of South Neighborhood Association to create new ground murals at four intersections as part of the Safe Pathways to Schools Project. The project aims to slow traffic near Edwin Stanton and Chester Arthur elementary schools. The design by artist Calo Rosa, unveiled earlier this month, involves curb “bulb-outs” and brightly painted pedestrian areas and crosswalks.

The project shares similarities with another currently underway in South Philadelphia by the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition (SEAMAAC). As part of an ongoing to improve the commercial corridor, SEAMAAC is working with Cambodian immigrant Somaly Osteen on a street mural featuring fabric patterns and flowers. The organization has also partnered with Mural Arts Philadelphia and artist Shira Walinksy on a mural at S. Eighth and Wolf Streets that’s been described as an “abstract community map.” The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote about SEAMAAC’s efforts last week:

https://www.inquirer.com/news/seamaac-mural-philadelphia-somaly-osteen-20210725.html

Check back for updates on this pair of projects.