Printmaking by the People
What’s It All About?
What would the Declaration of Independence say if it could be written today?
What visions do Philadelphians have for the promise of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?”
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, and Philadelphia is central to the story. Mural Arts Philadelphia is marking the moment with Printmaking by the People, Philadelphia’s largest public art and community engagement project inspired by this important milestone.
Over the past two years, Mural Arts organized dozens of printmaking workshops throughout the city, at which more than 1,000 participants made posters expressing their ideas for a reimagined Declaration of Independence. The workshops involved discussions about essential aspects of freedom, the importance of printing in communicating and mobilizing during the Revolutionary era, and the urgency of poster-making as a means of advocating for change.
Now you can see people’s visions in an exhibition at the Free Library’s Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement, open through August 29, 2026. Throughout the city, you can also find temporary installations of Behold these Truths, a signature poster by Rhonda Babb featuring declarations from thousands of Philadelphians. A mural is planned for later this year.
Printmaker Rhonda Babb drew inspiration from workshop participants to create Behold these Truths. Watch below:
Upcoming Events
Come to our curator’s talk and tour at the Free Library on July 8, 2026, and learn how prints and posters helped mobilize counter celebrations during the 1976 Bicentennial. Stay after for a curator’s tour of the Printmaking by the People exhibition at the Parkway Central Library, Heim Center for Civic Engagement, 5:30 pm. RSVP here.
View an original, large-scale, handmade screen print of Rhonda Babb’s Behold These Truths in the exhibition Liberty and Justice at the Box Spring Gallery, open through July 25, 2026. Seventeen artists explore how messages of liberty and justice be conveyed visually in respect to Philadelphia, our nation’s 250th anniversary, and historical or current events. Join us at the reception on Thursday, July 9, 2026, 6-9 pm at 1400 N. American St.
Learn more
- Look for Rhonda Babb’s poster, Behold These Truths, wheat-pasted on walls around the city in time for the July 4th commemoration!
- Get a peak inside a Printmaking by the People workshop in this blog post.
- Hear from community members on the streets of Philadelphia who answered the question: What do life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness mean to you?
- Read about the project launch and its origins in a 2024 blog post.
- Watch the project documentary below:
Sharswood
The Gayborhood
Spruce Hill
Kensington
Mt. Airy
North Central
Tacony
Bella Vista
Rittenhouse
Hunting Park
Riverfront East
Passyunk
Oxford Circle
University City
Kingsessing Library, Kingsessing
Parkway Central Library, Franklintown
Independence Library, Old City
Greater Olney Library, Olney
Fox Chase Library, Fox Chase
Wynnefield Library, Overbrook
Joseph E Coleman Northwest Regional Library, Germantown
About the Artists and Project Team
Since 2024, we have hired more than 30 different printmakers, artists and other creatives to design, lead and assist in our workshops. We thank them for providing their unique expertise to teach printmaking to Philadelphians and to give people a platform for expressing their civic and creative voice in this crucial time!
Printmaking Methods Taught
Letterpress:
- Vandercook and Provisional Press
- Typesetting and Pre-set Type
Screen Printing:
- Monoprints, monoprint over collage
- Pre-burned screens, layering
- Created an image with transparencies & Sharpie
Relief:
- Indentation on a foam sheet with a pencil
- E-Z cut Linoleum
Cyanotype
Mimeograph on a Fax Machine
Stamping
Gelli Printing
