Printmaking by the People: Exhibition Opening

Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Free Library of Philadelphia present Printmaking by the People: Posters for a Reimagined Declaration of Independence, an exhibition of hundreds of posters created by Philadelphians who were asked to share their visions of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This special exhibition is part of Printmaking by the People, the largest 2026 public art and engagement project in Philadelphia inspired by the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Printkmaking by the People opens at the Parkway Central Library on Thursday, April 16, with a free opening reception from 5:30–7:30 pm, and runs through August 2026. The reception will include a pop-up printmaking station, giving attendees the opportunity to share their own ideas and add to the conversation.

The exhibition is presented by a curatorial team that includes Todd W. Bressi (Public Art Project Specialist, Mural Arts Philadelphia), Suzanna Urminska (Curator of Exhibitions, Free Library of Philadelphia), David K. Coleman Jr.  (Exhibition Designer and Curatorial Advisor), and Monica O. Montgomery (Curatorial Advisor, DiasporaDNA Story Center). Thirty-five Printmaking by the People workshops took place across 13 neighborhoods in 2024 and 2025, and were led by more than 30 local artists working in a range of printmaking techniques.

Printmaking by the People is made possible by the Connelly Foundation / Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial and the City of Philadelphia, with lead partners Free Library of Philadelphia, Visit Philadelphia, and Philadelphia250.

Complete lists of project partners, artists, advisors, and workshop host organizations can be found at the Printmaking by the People project page.