Experiments in Creative Placemaking with The Oval+

This year marks the fifth time that we’ve partnered up with Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation for The Oval+: a month-long activation that transforms the eight acres of Eakins Oval into a dynamic public space. For most of the year, the Oval consists of parking spaces and busy lanes of traffic, but for the hottest days of the summer, it becomes a community park full of programming.

Since The Oval+ began in 2013, Mural Arts has been involved in one way or another, so we thought it would be fun to look back at past designs. What was your favorite?

2013: The Beach

2018: More Park, More Play

From July 20 to August 19, this year’s experiment in creative placemaking goes farther than we’ve ever gone before, with the largest footprint ever—an additional 22,000 square feet of artwork! Members of our Guild program and summer interns are hard at work on ground murals designed with Heads of State. This year’s design highlights the transition from park to city and back again, integrating with large-scale installations developed by PORT Urbanism.

From oversized furniture to a massive sandbox, from an 800-square-foot misting pavilion to food trucks and family fun days—we can’t wait.