In the Orbit of Ra Mural Dedication

Join Mural Arts Philadelphia at a musical celebration for a new, large-scale mural honoring the pioneering jazz artist and Afrofuturist Sun Ra—featuring a live performance by Marshall Allen and the Arkestra.

We’ll dedicate this long-awaited tribute in East Germantown with a ribbon cutting, speaking program, and remarks from artists Ernel Martinez and Keir Johnston, who designed In the Orbit of Ra with contributions from Arkestra band members and scholars. Then we’ll celebrate with a Sun Ra-themed DJ set by music writer Marcus J. Moore, live music, and refreshments.

From 1969 through 1993, Sun Ra lived in East Germantown with the Arkestra, composing and rehearsing a body of work that reshaped American experimental music and performance. The Arkestra continues to live and rehearse nearby on Morton Street, carrying forward a seven-decade legacy that still draws audiences worldwide.

This mural places that living legacy in public view at the scale it deserves, rooted in the neighborhood that sustained it, and paired with community programming that invites Philadelphians to celebrate a world-changing story that happened here.

Event agenda

• 1:00 pm: Speaking program and ribbon cutting begins.
• 1:25 pm: DJ set from music journalist Marcus J Moore
• 2:00 pm: Sun Ra Arkestra performance