2024 in Review - A 40th Anniversary Celebration

With the theme of Roots & Reimagination – we’ve reflected on our four-decade journey, which began as a part of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network in 1984 and evolved into the nation’s largest public art program of its kind, working collaboratively to transform urban spaces with works of art inspiring hope and dialogue.

Let’s take a look at the events that made our 40th Anniversary so special!

In February, we kicked off our 40th Anniversary celebration and announced this year’s theme: Roots & Reimagination with a special event at REC Philly.  Our emcee, Chad Eric Smith, guided us through a 40 year reflection on the legacy of Mural Arts. The festivities were full of special guests including poet Ursula Rucker, Executive Director Jane Golden, former Mayor Wilson Goode, Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, artists Cornbread, Roberto Lugo and many more. Our esteemed speakers shared recollections of the beginning of Mural Arts, which began as the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network. Artists shared memories of creating iconic murals, such as Meg Saligman’s Common Threads.

Wall Ball 2024 was an unforgettable party! Amazingly, we surpassed our fundraising goal of $500,000.  The party Honored State Senator Vincent Hughes & Sheryl Lee Ralph, Estelle Richman, and artists Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Amber Art & Design. Popular Philly-based poet, lyricist, and spoken word artist Nina “Lyrispect” Ball emceed, and we partied to free-flowing DJ sets by Skeme Richards, and the R&B/funk/soul sounds of Ryan Gilfillian and Friends, with additional music by Kyon Williams. TAMEARTZ provided a unique hip-hop dance performance, and the West Powelton Drumline got everyone pumped up.

In October, we celebrated Mural Arts Month, and we packed it with some fantastic events. We kicked things off with a fun-filled, family-style block party at LOVE Park. The event featured performances by some of Philadelphia’s most promising talents, including Supreme Da Rezarekta, Suzanne Sheer, Virtuous Diva Majorettes Team, Trumpet Chics, The Bul Bey, Mad Beatz Philly, TAMEARTZ  Collective, and many more local favorites. Attendees also enjoyed live DJ sets from DJ AMH, THURSDAYNIGHTGROOVE, and Amber Lang. Plus, there was live painting by artists as part of the To The Polls project to rally Philadelphia around civic participation through the act of voting.

Hosting the Cey Adams, Departure: 40 Years of Art & Design exhibition with Drexel University’s Perestein Gallery was a highlight of the month. The show featured the career-spanning work of Cey Adams, a New York-based visionary artist working at the forefront of design, culture, innovation and collaboration.

Also of note, our Mural Lab Live Re-Imagined speaker series, which was designed to engage new audiences and creatives in conversations about the future of public art. Presented by Glenmede Trust Company and hosted by Mural Arts Philadelphia at REC Philly and the W Philadelphia, the series offered insights into artistic journeys, social justice reform, and the transition of street artists into fine art spaces. Featuring discussions that honor organizations and individuals leading in public arts, the series highlighted Philadelphia’s profound impact on the field, exploring how other cities may be drawing inspiration.

Many new murals were dedicated, including our Jill Scott tribute mural, Luminaries: The Coronation at Girls’ High in Olney.  Both Ms. Scott and Mayor Cherelle Parker were on hand as we celebrated the occasion!  Designed by artist Patrick Dougher, this mural honored the accomplishments of women who graduated from the school, including poet, singer and songwriter Jill Scott. The 900 square foot mural faces Broad Street for maximum impact. We also dedicated Down with Dope, Up With Hope, by shanina dionna, honoring the late activist C.B. Kimmins, co-founder of Mantua Against Drugs; a new mural project by artist Celso Gonzalez celebrating the women of Grupo Motivos and their legacy as the force that led the creation of the Norris Square Neighborhood Project community gardens at Las Parcelas Community Gardens; and just two weeks before the election, we unveiled Philadelphia’s first permanent voting-themed mural, Philly Votes: Legacy in Bloom, created by Philadelphia-based artist Tai Corrienté Baucom. This mural symbolizes the transmission of civic responsibility across generations.

The Our Market project hosted a celebration of community and resilience in the 9th Street Market, showcasing the vibrant public art project created and led by local artist Michelle Angela Ortiz’s Fiera Studios in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia.

How do you close out a month like that? With a wearable art party at REC Philly! We had so much fun reflecting on and celebrating Mural Arts Month as an important opportunity to showcase our programs and projects.

So many amazing murals were finished this year! Here are a few highlights that really stood out:

Our Rec Crew created a beautiful tribute in memory of Tiffany Fletcher, a Parks and Rec employee who died while on duty in 2023. Mayor Cherelle Parker, Parks & Rec Commissioner Susan Slawson, and City Council members and community members were on hand for the dedication ceremony at which the recreation center was renamed in Fletcher’s honor. “The mural is going to represent what she represented to the City of Philadelphia,” said Slawson.

Mural Arts and Louis H. Farrell School dedicated the ground mural Literacy Loop, a 10,000 square foot ground mural designed and produced by Philadelphia-based artists Jason Killinger and Jenna Robb. The project supports guided play, storytelling, and conversation focused on the development of literacy and highlighting the local ecology of Northeast Philadelphia.

Our Restorative Justice program dedicated Brotherly Love, the first large-scale mural project by local artist King Saladeen which depicts his signature bears in front of a Philadelphia skyline with messages of positivity. It was a pivotal project for our Rec Crew, who helped out in a big way. They learned many new techniques from the artists Eduardo, Malachi, and King Saladeen.

Heatwave, an exhibition at AtelierFAS Gallery curated by Paige Phillips and Mat Tomezsko, showcased the work of Mural Arts Staff. The exhibition featured work by twenty-three artists in a vast range of mediums—painting, drawing, and sculpture, film, photography, textiles, music, and more. Cumulatively, the work demonstrates a passionate commitment to creative expression, highlighting why our staff is dedicated to ensuring that Philly’s communities are filled with art.

We dedicated The Stories of Olney, a new mural by artist Winnie Sidharta Ambron as part of a series celebrating the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The mural depicts the diversity, brilliance, and vision of the people of Olney. Included are familiar faces that contribute to the neighborhood’s rich culture, along with scenes of joyful communities in nature, sharing food and enjoying time with one another.

One of the highlights of 2024 was Porch Light’s signature project, We Here,  a two-year collaboration with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, which has worked to broaden access to the arts in Kensington since 2017. Inspired by ceramic artist Roberto Lugo’s journey as a professional artist who grew up in Kensington, We Here emphasized youth engagement through pottery, featuring pattern-making and pottery workshops designed to actively involve local school groups and community members in an immersive artistic journey. Highlights included the installation of three 11 foot sculptures at Kensington Corridor Trusts Community Garden, the Free Church of St. John, and Taller Puertorriqueño.

As part of We Here, Roberto Lugo and acclaimed author Frank Berrios teamed up to create We Here: What Kind of Artist Will You Be?, a children’s book illustrated by Meghan Galloway-Edgar. Inspired by Lugo’s artistic journey, the book was provided to Kensington families, in both Spanish and English editions, at no cost, with the aim of fostering a love of art-making in the neighborhood’s next generation.  To commemorate the culmination of the project, we hosted a community celebration and forum Clay Heals Minds, featuring a roundtable discussion, book reading, tours and more!

2024 was an impactful year that shined a light on our roots and offered an opportunity to reimagine the future of public art. Mural Arts Philadelphia will remain unwavering in our commitment to fostering fairness, nurturing creativity, treasuring diversity, and celebrating unity in our city and beyond.