About the Project 

Musician John Coltrane is such an important part of Philadelphia history that we had to paint him twice. When our original Coltrane mural was lost several years ago, we knew we had to keep his story alive in this city with another bold piece of art. Why We Love Coltrane is artist Ernel Martinez’s interpretation of Coltrane’s legacy: the Philadelphian inspired an entire generation of jazz musicians and changed the world of music forever. He is an important reminder of the power that one individual can have in their community. The mural shows him as a larger-than-life figure against a dream-like, colorful cityscape and stage scene, including a historical marker painted right onto the wall.