Delaware River Connections

Delaware River Connections by artist Meg Lemieur is located in Philadelphia’s Bridesburg neighborhood. The mural celebrates and recognizes the impact and interactions of humans with the Delaware River including the Lenape Nations, colonial and industrial times, and the Bridesburg neighborhood of today.

Lemieur describes the mural in an artist statement:

“In our initial meeting, Rep. Joe Hohenstein requested that this mural center the Delaware River and the Lenape people. Throughout our conversations with stakeholders, I learned of the historic and current relationship that Bridesburg has with the river. This included the heavy industry cutting the neighborhood off for numerous generations, but also friends slipping down to the riverbanks with friends and family, and the most recent opening of trails and parks that intentionally invite the neighborhood back to the water’s edge. In our community engagement meeting, neighbors told stories of boating on the river, catching fish with family, concerts on the docks, and the variety of wildlife they’ve caught sight of. Their excitement to reconnect with this body of water was tangible.

“Trinity Norwood of the Nanticoke Lenape Nation helped me develop the mural’s concept- that the river connects us across borders, generations, nationalities, and with our ancestors and descendants. This concept is visualized in the mural through the main character’s stance, opening her arms to welcome people and wildlife to the river. Within each of the silhouetted figures, four scenes from different time periods highlight human connections with the river- from pre-colonial days through to the future where concerts are back at the docks and sturgeon are a common sight again.

“My hope with this design is to remind people of their access to the waterfront, invite them to care for the river and the natural environments within Bridesburg, and to celebrate the diversity of nature that we are part of.”

Lemieur added some special little details & symbolism to the mural, including:

1) The music coming out of the dock concert within the right hand figure
is an old Polish folksong, honoring the Polish heritage of many of Bridesburgs residents.
2) The colors within the ribbon skirt of the Lenape figure are the colors of
the Medicine Wheel, which are not only of Lenape ceremonial significance
but also represent different phases in life. Since one of the themes of the
mural is connection, then connecting intergenerationally is also celebrated
here.
3) The Turkey, Wolf and Turtle on the ribbon skirt are the three Lenape
clan animals.
4) The floral design on the ribbon skirt represents some local Lenape
fashion design elements.
5) The Lenape woman’s shirt is red because it connects to the movement
caring for the crisis of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. People where red shirts at different events to identify with this movement.