Wister Recreation Center

Artists Willis “Nomo” Humphrey created the Wister Recreation Center mural in Bricktown, part of the Germantown neighborhood in Philadelphia. The project encompasses a wraparound mural of the building and an extension onto the wall along Baynton Street, including approximately 200 square feet of mosaic by Jonny Buss. The goal was to revitalize this public playground.

In developing the design, Humphrey went back to elements of previous murals at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center as reference and inspiration, including patterns that allude to mountains and stairs.

The community also requested that they wanted a mural that felt positive and that focused on youth and growth. Towards this end, Humphrey used the bright color harmonies from muralist Doze Green’s work as inspiration for the color palette. The community was also interested in seeing music/history/culture in the design, which is reflected in the spiraling motion in the design that alludes to song.