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2026
Artist /
Ernel Martinez, Keir Johnston
Location /
October Gallery, 6353 Greene Street
Philadelphia, PA
Status /
On View

In the Orbit of Ra

In the Orbit of Ra dedication on June 13, 2026. Photo by Steve Weinik.

This new, large-scale mural located at the October Gallery celebrates legendary jazz artist Sun Ra and The Arkestra’s extraordinary cultural legacy in East Germantown. Artists Ernel Martinez and Keir Johnston created In the Orbit of Ra with contributions from The Arkestra band members and scholars and funding support from the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, and Leslie Fleischner.

From 1969 through 1993, Sun Ra lived in East Germantown with The Arkestra, composing and rehearsing a body of work that reshaped American experimental music and performance. The Arkestra continues to live and rehearse nearby on Morton Street, carrying forward a seven-decade legacy that still draws audiences worldwide. This mural places that living legacy in public view at the scale it deserves, rooted in the neighborhood that sustained it, and paired with community programming that invites Philadelphians to celebrate a world-changing story that happened here.

The community dedicated this long-awaited tribute mural on June 13, 2026, with a live performance by the Arkestra, ribbon cutting, speaking program, and sets by DJ Oluwafemi and music writer Marcus J. Moore. See below for images of the celebration by Steve Weinik.

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