Best Philly: Mural Row at Schuylkill Yards
Best Philly is a new mural project from Mural Arts and Brandywine Realty Trust, curated by Conrad Benner. Creating 12 original mini-murals with six Philly artists on Mural Row at Schuylkill Yards, a new pedestrian-only path at 3151 Market Street in West Philly’s University City. The project will be dedicated on Thursday, July 31, with entertainment, light refreshments, and more! RSVP HERE for the dedication.
Akira Gordon, Branche Coverdale, Cindy Lozito, Dora Cuenca, Isabella Akhtarshenas, and Manuela Guillén are the lead artists for “Best Philly.” A play on the iconic local saying: “West Philly is the best Philly,” or “West is best,” this theme encouraged our artists to create two murals each showing all the positive aspects of the work and life taking place in this pocket of the city, from groundbreaking cancer research that will save lives to educational institutions that are shaping the next generation to new and innovative public parks and placemaking spaces to blocks and blocks of neighbors who take care of one another.
ARTIST BIOS
Akira Gordon (she/they) is an Philadelphia-born painter and University of the Arts graduate whose work explores themes of leisure, nostalgia, and the transition into adulthood. Through self-portraiture and rich, saturated color, she creates immersive narratives that reflect personal and collective experiences. Her art highlights Black figures in moments of rest and everyday life, offering a perspective that is both intimate and universal.
Instagram: @okayakiii
TikTok: @okayakiii
Branche Coverdale is a Philadelphia-based artist. Originally from Yonkers, New York, Branche works in an expressive and playful manner inspired from silkscreen methods he acquired during his time at Rhode Island School of Design, seamlessly combining cartoons, pop culture, and his experiences in major cities in his playful and vibrant art. In particular, he traveled between New York and Japan for years as a studio assistant for Takashi Murakami. He celebrates the fusion of these influences, exploring themes such as city life, representation, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction, using iconic symbols that have shaped our collective consciousness. He is currently working as a full time illustrator as well as working in painting and fine arts.
Instagram: @branchecoverdale
TikTok: @branchecoverdale
Cindy Lozito (she/her) is an illustrator, muralist, and cartoonist based in South Philadelphia, originally from Queens, New York. She creates work inspired by imagination and pop art, using large and small-scale illustrative practices to tell stories that bring people closer together. Through digital illustration, comics, children’s book art, murals, and more, she considers her art as a way to build a bridge of belonging for both the artist and the audience. Some of her clients include the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Visit Philadelphia, NY Times, World Trade Center, NYC Health + Hospitals, and LA Times.
Instagram: @acleartrace
BlueSky: cindylozito.com
Dora Cuenca (she/her) is a Costa Rican artist whose work is cultivated around the idea that energy can be transformed through the process of making and sharing art. She uses curiosity and intuition as her guiding principles in her pieces to fluidly blend the abstract and figurative with intentional movement, color and shapes. She firmly believes that as artists, we must hold space for our creativity to unfold because when we create beauty in the world we inspire others to create their own form of beauty too. She has brought color to the walls of Philadelphia with Murals Arts, as well as worked for clients like Madewell, Starbucks, Mission Taqueria, Freedom Apothecary, Allen Street Grill, Sonder Stays and private collectors in the US and Costa Rica.
Instagram: @dora_cuenca
Isabella Akhtarshenas (she/her) is a versatile artist and designer whose work strategically uses color and shape to evoke whimsical and lively forms. She experiments in various mediums including hand-built ceramics, murals, digital illustration and more. Childlike joy and wonder remain at the forefront of her creative practice, with the intention of inspiring adults to be silly and embrace vulnerability. Isabella lives in South Philly while refining her craft by developing client work and personal projects.
Instagram: @isa__akh
Manuela Guillén (she/her) is a passionate Philadelphia-based artist, merging her Cuban and Salvadorian heritage into her work as a painter, muralist, and digital illustrator. Her art, inspired by plants, tropical colors, and her upbringing, focuses on promoting art education and addressing sociopolitical and environmental issues. Collaborating with organizations globally, her murals adorn spaces in the U.S. and Mexico. As an Art teacher, she aims to inspire creativity and bring communities together through the power of art.
Instagram: @lazybeamarte
TikTok: @lazybeamarte
