Give Wings . . . Adopt

Give Wings . . . Adopt by artist Cesar Viveros was located in the Glenwood neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The goal of this mural was to promote awareness about adoption. The children depicted in this mural are actual children awaiting adoption or who have already been adopted. The artist wanted to convey the fact that a child, regardless of his or her gender or ethnic background, is a person who needs a place where they can be safe, wanted, and motivated—a place to call home and not just foster home, but a permanent home. The mural was designed to show the dreams and aspirations of children awaiting adoption and the ongoing need to recruit adoptive parents locally.

Viveros met with adopted youth in focus groups to learn how they felt about being adopted and what images and thoughts come to mind when they think of home.

The mural conveys several important points: Less than 2% of the children shown in the mural are under 3 years old. This was done to promote awareness to the importance of adopting older children—the average age of children needing to be adopted in Philadelphia is between 8 and 12. The mural demonstrates adoptive parents embracing difference and shows the importance of transracial adoption. The mural demonstrates that the majority of the children needing to be adopted are African American and the parents who adopt them come from a very diverse population—including single parent households, gay and lesbian households, and seniors. The mural also shows siblings and the importance of adopting sibling groups who need to stay together.

The images depicted on the mural include the family welcoming a new child, the social worker bringing the child to a new home, special needs and disabled children being welcomed to a family, images of children waiting to be adopted, and the birth family being represented in a spiritual way.

The trees or roots represent the past; the garden represents growing a family; the home is the anchor.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (lost to demolition ca. 2005).