Live to Dream

Live to Dream by Brad Carney features a dreamcatcher design to create an iconic image for the Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia. This symbolic reference comes from the Lenni-Lenape native American tribe that once lived in this community. The dreamcatcher is an artifact that is believed to capture bad dreams and convert them into good dreams. This dreamcatcher promotes a positive growth for the neighborhood.

The composition focal point is a heart-shaped knot, wrapping around the lightbulb in the center. The lightbulb is a symbol of an idea, representing that our dreams hold the bright ideas that will guide/light our path.

There is a floral pattern in the weaving of the dreamcatcher, combined with natural flowers to create a sense of beauty and growth.

The headphones represent the spirit of music, an art-form that brings us all together and is used highly to express our dreams and aspirations. We also used the headphone chord as a design element to spell out the phrase “Live to Dream” in the top section of the mural.

The baby shoes represent our dreams about family. This neighborhood is rich with history from various cultural backgrounds. The symbol of the baby shoes hanging on the dreamcatcher is a nod to the “hanging shoes” in a city landscape. While some may see this as a negative symbol, others see this as a transitional symbol for graduation, and a playful game by kids.

The keys represent home, stability, and future achievements.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (removed ca. 2021).