Cruz Bay

Diane Pieri, artist and designer, worked with youth from St. Gabriel’s Hall during the summer and fall to design a continuation of her landscape motif onto the pool area wall and the back wall of the Cruz Recreation Center in the Ludlow neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The project also restored the three existing murals in the courtyard area of the rec center.

Within this design, a poolside motel is woven into the landscape. This motel image was designed by youth from St. Gabriel’s, who drew inspiration from source material provided by Pieri. A ceramic tile artist instructed the students in a tile technique in order to execute the motel image.

The existing wall map of South America, mainly the water and lettering, was restored by the students from St. Gabe’s under Pieri’s direction. The goal was to visually incorporate the wall into the aesthetic of the total wrap-around mural environment.

A small wall facing Master Street, which had painted portraits honoring two community neighbors, was incorporated into the total mural.

Location Note: Murals no longer on view at this location (painted out in 2020 and replaced with new murals).