Celebrating National Parks and Recreation Month
When we imagine Philly’s green spaces, Bartram’s Garden, Fairmount Park, and the Schuylkill River Trail come to mind, but, in fact, over 500 parks and nature sites grace the city, each with its own unique foliage, tranquility, and charm.
This July, during National Parks and Recreation Month, we are celebrating the beauty of the natural world through our multimedia initiative, Getting to Green!
Getting to Green
“Getting to Green: Routes to Roots” was a multidisciplinary public art project designed to inspire Philadelphians to utilize public transportation and explore the city’s green spaces. Unique artwork, including a bus wrap, posters in bus shelters, and print materials featuring hand-drawn maps, encouraged riders to discover new pathways and routes. Additionally, short video profiles showcased and made more personal the stories of riders, drivers, and routes.
At Mural Arts, we believe in implementing sustainable initiatives that seek to preserve and beautify our urban landscapes through artwork that highlights and advocates for our public parks, natural environments, and outdoor recreation. Getting to Green is one of our recent multimedia projects that advocates for exploring Philly’s green spaces via public transit. Its public launch took place on June 10, 2023, in South Philadelphia, at 4th and Oregon Streets, featuring the Route 7 Bus beautifully wrapped with the art of Shira Walinsky and Laura Deutch.
With equity in public transportation as its focal point, Getting to Green facilitates outreach to immigrant, refugee, and non-native English-speaking communities, providing a deeper understanding of the SEPTA transit system. Following a ceremonial ribbon cutting, tour groups journeyed from South Philadelphia to Fairmount Park, where all enjoyed a picnic lunch, panel discussions, and a trail walk alongside the artists and prominent partners from organizations including the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, SEAMACC, Southeast by Southeast, and Puentes de Salud.
Walinsky and Deutch replicated their work on ten bus shelters throughout the city, inspiring Philadelphians to explore hidden-gem nature spaces via public transit, especially on routes 9, 7, 25, 38 and 4 which “were meant to excite, surprise and invite passengers to hop on the bus to visit one of the many city parks,” Walinsky shared. The efforts of the two artists and community partner organizations successfully fostered a lasting connection between urban communities and the city’s green spaces, encouraging citizens to leave their vehicles at home to opt for the sustainable practice of taking public transportation to enjoy one of the many nature sites that Philly has to offer.
Columbia Bridge in Summer
Columbia Bridge in Summer, by artists Patrick Conner and Brian Senft, is located between the Southwark and Pennsport neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Columbia Bridge, as it exists today, was constructed in 1920 and is the third bridge to have been built on the site. It continues to serve in its original capacity as a railroad bridge, allowing freight to cross over the Schuylkill River into Philadelphia.
A successful preservation effort of the original artwork, Columbia Bridge in Summer by late artist Patrick Connors, was led by building owner Josh Rosenblum, Eileen Gargano (President of Friends of Dickinson Park), and muralist John Laidacker in his reinterpretation entitled Columbia Bridge in Spring. Initially scheduled for demolition, the work was restored in 2011, capturing the spirit of Connors’ foundational artistry and love for the surrounding community. Deeply cherished by the neighborhood, the mural served as a beautiful tribute to his legacy, enriching the lives of those who visited the park.
Forest Green
Forest Green by artist Ras Malik is located in the East Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In this mural, Malik painted flora and fauna of the region, creating a depiction of what Philadelphia could have looked like had it never been built up.
In a reimagining of the City of Philadelphia as a forested region, artist Ras Malik paints Forest Green in the background of a community garden in East Kensington located on 2321 Emerald Street. Featuring a realistic forest landscape with waterfalls, streams, grazing deer, and natural foliage, the mural serves as a grounding, peaceful backdrop for local gardeners.
