Cycle of Life: Peace Like a River

The mural by artist Dennis Haugh takes a contemporary approach to the universal theme of life-cycles. An artist known for his work with faux finishes, Haugh brought a fresh approach to mural making through this project. It was also the first mural done by Mural Arts in collaboration with a cemetery.

Haugh created this mural at Laurel Hill Cemetery to celebrate the site’s 175th Anniversary. A National Historic Landmark, the cemetery is the final resting place for some of Philadelphia’s most prominent and infamous citizens. It also functions as a site for recreation and as a backdrop for some of Philadelphia’s more famous events include annual Halloween tours and the annual Grave Digger’s Ball. The cemetery’s architecture and art offer interesting visual and social commentary about Philadelphia’s history as a city. The mural is located outside the walls of the cemetery, directly across the street from the entrance, on land that rests between the cemetery and a densely populated neighborhood.

This mural project provided an opportunity for a younger organization, Mural Arts, to work collaboratively with an iconic landmark together with neighbors to consider a broader philosophical narrative related to life-cycles – a theme not necessarily innovative, but that was given fresh consideration through this project. The mural was also an opportunity to breathe new life into a well-worn subject – Philadelphia history, examining life-cycles not only through humans, but also through the geography and subterranean life of animals and bugs that take residence within the cemetery.