Tribute to Tim Spencer

Tribute to Tim Spencer by artist Cliff Hudson was located in the Mantua neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tim Spencer was the founder and first director of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, the predecessor of the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (Mural Arts Philadelphia or MAP) under former mayor Wilson Goode.

Spencer was originally from Mantua. He passed away in 1996 before the mural was painted. Spencer’s vision of beautifying his home city and discouraging graffiti had an enormous impact on making Philadelphia the mural capital of the world. His legacy lives on through MAP.

The phrase “Save the Children” sits atop Spencer’s portrait. A text panel to the right of the portrait reads:

“~Tim Spencer~
achieved many goals in his life.
His accomplishments include
Helping – Sharing – Caring

Mantua
1,000 Plus Murals
People Person
NFBPA
Black Family Reunion
Heritage Pride
Housing Development”
Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (painted out/partially covered by new construction in 2014). Mural reenvisioned at another location in 2018.