Celebrating International Restorative Justice Week November 17 - 23, 2024

Mural Projects with the Rec Crew 

Mural Arts’ Rec Crew is a program of our Restorative Justice department, composed of justice-impacted young men and women who help beautify the city. Our hard-working Rec Crew beautifies recreation centers by painting and restoring murals, as well as adding color to the interiors to make them more appealing to the community. They have recently worked on several mural projects.

TThe Rec Crew members December, Chanel, and Amber spent two months working on Christian “TAMEARTZ” Rodriguez and Bill Strobel’s ongoing mural series Knowledge & Methods, An Ode To 50 Years of Hip-Hop.  Phase 2 of the project explores the use of graffiti in this first-of-its-kind design. It is not an endorsement of unauthorized art but a celebration of a beloved, influential, globally recognized visual art form, a key element of Hip-Hop. During this process, the members learned to utilize the chalk method of “pouncing.” As they painted this mural, artist TAMEARTZ informed them about how this mural came about. Knowledge and Method is on 9th and Oxford and will be dedicated on December 15, 2024.

In addition, the Rec Crew worked on Legacies; Our Neighbor on the MLK Rec Center. Rec Crew members supported the project by preparing and mixing the paint as well as cutting, painting, and installing the panels. Throughout this process, the members were educated on the legacies and journeys of historical figures Harold McCoy, Bruce Cornell Webb, and Helen Brown. Legacies: Our Neighbor is at 2101 Cecil B. Moore Ave, at Martin Luther King Recreation Center. It will be dedicated in February 2025.

On August 14, the Rec Crew supported the Delta Sigma Theta sorority with their The Safe Haven Project as part of their Day of Service event preceding their annual convention held in Philadelphia from August 15-18. With less than three weeks to prepare, muralist Meg Saligman, a friend of one of the sorors, volunteered to transform a room at Marian Anderson Rec Center into a Teen Room. With support from Mural Arts, Meg designed six mini murals, which were reproduced for the five sites. The Rec Crew supported the work by repainting the rooms, adding fresh color to the room, and installing the mini murals. Keisha Van Kirk and Kyaan Freeman-Allen led a team that did the painting and installed the six panels in two rooms at the recreation center, where the opening event was held on August 15. Mayor Cherelle L Parker and Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson, both sorors of Delta Sigma Theta, were instrumental in pulling this rabbit out of its hat.

Artists in Residence 

Mural Arts’ Restorative Justice program has two impactful residency programs to support artists and highlight Restorative Justice issues.  Both programs have had recent dedications.

Our Reimagining Reentry Artist-in-Residence, Mark Loughney dedicated his mural Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site on November 19, 2024.

This portrait series humanizes incarcerated individuals, shedding light on the immense human cost of mass incarceration in America. Created during Mark Loughney’s ten years of incarceration, these portraits offer a dignified, intimate view of his fellow prisoners, challenging the stigmatizing image of those within the prison system. The title references pyrrhic defeat theory, which is the idea that those with the power to change a system benefit from the way it currently works. In the latest phase of Pyrrhic Defeat, Loughney expands his focus to include portraits of advocates for criminal justice reform. This evolution of the project highlights not only those affected by incarceration but also the individuals fighting to change the system. Through this broader lens, Loughney’s work emphasizes that true reform is a shared responsibility.

This powerful artwork, which portrays the individuals who are incarcerated, is currently on display at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. For more information, visit Easternstate.org.

In addition, on November 20, we unveiled the striking new banners created by Russell Craig, who has served as the Artist-in-Residence at the office of the District Attorney of Philadelphia from 2022 – 2024. 

Craig’s residency culminated with these new works on the banners celebrating the life and legacy of family members lost to violent crime. This groundbreaking art and advocacy project stems from Mural Arts’ belief that art can serve as a tool of compassion and empathy and restore and transform individual lives and communities. Russell Craig is a self-taught artist who survived nearly a decade of incarceration after growing up in the foster care system.

Defender’s Art Show 

December 4 |  4:00 – 6:00 pm  |  Defender Association of Philadelphia, 1441 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19102.

For over 80 years, the Defender Association of Philadelphia has provided high-quality, client-centered legal representation, courtroom advocacy, and a connection to social services for underserved populations. Many of their clients are now actively participating in Mural Arts Philadelphia’s program at SCI Phoenix. To amplify the voices of these incredibly talented incarcerated artists, Mural Arts is organizing a free art sale to pay them what they deserve. Combined with artwork by our Restorative Justice Guild Reentry Program participants, Mural Arts is thrilled to reconvene this event right in time for the holidays. Food and beverages will be available.  The art show will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, 1441 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102.  Come out and show your support for these talented artists! Find out more.