Why We Love Coltrane

Why We Love Coltrane by artist Ernel Martinez is located in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Musician John Coltrane is such an important part of Philadelphia history that Mural Arts Philadelphia had to paint him twice. When the original Coltrane mural was lost in 2014, his story needed to be kept alive in the city with another bold piece of art. Why We Love Coltrane is Martinez’s interpretation of Coltrane’s legacy: the Philadelphian inspired an entire generation of jazz musicians and changed the world of music forever. He is an important reminder of the power that one individual can have in their community. The mural shows him as a larger-than-life figure against a dream-like, colorful cityscape and stage scene, including a historical marker painted right onto the wall.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (covered by adjacent construction and painted out in 2022).