Spirit, Power and Community

Spirit, Power, and Community by artist Betsy Z. Casañas was located in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Casañas collaborated with poet Julia Lopez and students from Girls, Inc. enrolled in the Mural Arts Program’s after-school program for truant youth, “ArtWorks!” Casañas, who has painted a number of murals across the city, is known for her vibrant colors and realistic renderings of people. As part of her process, she is always interested in who the people are in the community where she is painting as well as in what they are looking for in a mural. This shines through in this mural which explores the diversity of this community which at the time of painting was predominantly non-white ethnicities including Vietnamese, Laotian, Black, and Latinx. The mural even references the processions and celebrations by the local Buddhist community around events like New Years.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (lost to demolition/new construction 2015).