Reset by artist Andréa Grasso is located in the Jefferson Station Concourse at 11th and Filbert streets in Center City Philadelphia. The project grew from a desire to expand on what types of programming are offered at the Color Me Back workshops. Grasso partnered with poet Amy Saul-Zerby to lead four weeks of poetry-based workshops. Each week, Saul-Zerby engaged participants on various themes, including Joy, Love, Hope, Strength, Resilience, Growth, Inheritance, and Purpose. Saul-Zerby selected and shared published writings on the themes, and participants were encouraged to create their own writings, share, and discuss them with the group. Participants were also asked to do artistic visualizations of words from their writings, which were then layered and distorted to design the mural composition. The design is created entirely from their words but is meant to not be specifically legible, almost as a form of abstract graffiti. It is an expression of varied voices through different writing styles. These are the unedited writings, and illustrations that were created by participants.
The Color Me Back program was designed in partnership with the Scattergood Foundation, SEPTA, and Mental Health Partnerships. The initiative is managed by Mural Arts’ Porch Light program, a collaboration with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services. Color Me Back is an innovative program that combines participatory art-making and access to social services in a unique model offering individuals experiencing economic insecurity an opportunity to earn wages. Participants can connect, contribute, and engage with peer specialists who can link them with support services, including social and/or behavioral health services, and potential opportunities for longer-term employment while working in the program.
