Fernhill

Fernhill by Alison Dilworth and Sarah Kolker is located on Pavillion 1 in Fernhill Park in the Fernhill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The mural features ferns and geometric shapes dance around the building in bright colors. Images of snow hills, birds and suns and moons decorate the pavilion and columns.

Kolker and Dilworth met with a neighborhood from Friends of Fernhill. Together, they surveyed community members via email and in person to gather ideas and develop a theme for the project. They then met with community members throughout the design and painting process.

The artists describe the nature and purpose of the work in their artist statement:

“This concept is timely and relevant to our neighborhood because now more than ever, the youth in our community need safe, creative, and inviting outdoor play spaces. The pandemic has hit every community, and ours is no exception. Gun violence is on the rise in our neighborhood, art programming in public schools is on the decline, and we are in need of more safe and beautiful spaces for our community. Our neighborhood planted a pollinator garden, put in a free library, and has community work days that bring people of all ages together. Friends of Fernhill Park, in partnership with Philadelphia Orchard Project, has begun a food forest, planting a variety of fruit and nut trees as well as berry bushes and other native plants; this project is community driven. Taking a drab, grey pavilion and transforming it with vibrant murals will create a welcoming space for art workshops, family gatherings, outdoor community meetings, and a sheltered play space for kids. This mural project will connect conceptually to the hard work the community is already engaged with in planting and caring for the land at Fernhill Park.”

Location Note: Mural is located on Pavillion #1 in Fernhill Park.