Two Trees

Two Trees by artist Paul Santoleri was a series of murals on the exterior of the Charles R. Drew School located in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Created with the Eagles Youth Partnership, this mural is an imaginative story in images that grows out of the side of the building, and wraps around the school to the front doors. In it we see the giant trees, one red, one blue, towering over the schoolyard like two great brothers, keeping watch over the children below at play. In their hair, or their crowns of leaves, are various dreams: angels, planets, stars and moons, bicycles, butterflies, books and amusement parks, while growing in the roots are some of the plants from the school’s own herb garden: the flowering allium and loosestrife, among others, taken from the garden and made giant on the wall, as well as “Porter,” the tiny black dog that lived with the artist at the time of its creation. Also in the mural is a great hand sowing the seed that became the trees, to show the passage of time. The back doors of the school were transformed into a brightly colored garden for the children to walk through when finished with their recess.

Since 1999, the Philadelphia Eagles (as the Philadelphia Eagles Youth Partnership from 1999-2015) has funded an annual Playground Build that includes the entire Philadelphia Eagles organization, including players, coaches, and staff members, with a Philadelphia school community to transform asphalt school yards into beautiful, imaginative and safe spaces for play and recreation. Mural Arts Philadelphia joined this partnership between the Eagles and the School District of Philadelphia in 2002. Mural Arts leads the development and production of the murals and mosaic tables that are part of these projects. Once a school is selected, Mural Arts leads an introductory pep rally at the school, as well as drawing workshops and after-school art programs with students to involve the school community in developing a theme for the project. Murals are then designed around the theme, often incorporating student drawings and artwork. The projects also include installations of play structures and a mini Eagles turf field in addition to the colorful murals and mosaic tables.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (school closed in 2013; building demolished ca. 2015).