Lots of Lots of Love

Lots of Lots of Love is the culmination of the Heart of Kensington project, which activated vacant lots across the Kensington neighborhood in the fall of 2021. Mural Arts partnered with Impact Services to offer a series of five events that activated vacant lots in Kensington with art activities. JC Zerbe led the mural and was assisted by artists Seper, Busta, Damon Bain, and Leon Rainbow. Each of the assistant artists attended events to provide live painting demonstrations, and artists working on other Mural Arts Philadelphia projects in Kensington offered art activities. There was also music, food, and dancing. At least half of the community participants were from the Puerto Rican/Hispanic communities.
The Kensington neighbors wanted a design that was positive, that represented the idea of community, and that added color and energy to the space. Zerbe designed the mural “to bring, color, energy, and style to help activate the lot and garden.” As he explained: “The mural design was created to show different styles of art to represent the different types of people and opinions that make up Kensington using street art, graffiti, fine art, and muralism to show how if you focus on a common goal, what you can create by working together.” Seper contributed the abstracted forms on a blue background. Leon Rainbow painted the skyline motif that runs across the mural. Busta and Damon added the figures depicting community members who attended the Lots of Lots of Love events.

The buildings represent the homes and residents and the changes going on in the neighborhood from development. The children represent the families, residents, and the future: they are the reason why people work to improve the neighborhood. The graffiti style of the word “Kensington” is located at the top of the building so that it is visible from the train, as Zerbe notes, “to make people look up at Kensington.” The child with the camera suggests that people “should take a look deeper on the issues going on in the neighborhood.” The mural acknowledges efforts to lift up the community that happen on a daily basis. Zerbe also describes the mural as “a personal love letter to Kensington for their heart, compassion, and inspiration.”

This mural was painted directly onto a wall facing six vacant lots owned by the Kensington Corridor Trust, with the goal of creating a community space. In the next five to ten years, it is possible there might be development that covers the mural.