Sunflowers (Memorial to Amy Willard)

Sunflowers by artist Ana Uribe was painted in memory of Amy Willard, a young murder victim whose body was found in this vacant lot. Sunflowers were Amy Willard’s favorite flower. The drooping flowers are symbolic of the sadness of the site The artist added water after community meeting suggested this addition to symbolize cleaning up the past.

The mural inspired change in the area. The vacant lot in front of the mural was turned into a garden. After the mural’s completion, there was a wedding in front of the mural, an anti-drug rally, gardening days, and a neighborhood BBQ. This mural was extremely personal to the artist who had just moved to Philadelphia from Columbia. In her homeland, violence is extremely prevalent. Painting this mural about a young girl whose life was also tragically taken by violence was part of a healing process for her and a way of looking for hope for peace.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (removed in 2002).