Mural Arts celebrates 40-year anniversary with LOVE Park celebration

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Sunday’s Mural Arts Fest celebrated 40 years of public art in Philadelphia at LOVE Park by celebrating its “roots,” as well as “reimagining” what it could look like in the future.

As part of “Mural Arts Month,” the festival provided a space for artists to showcase their talents through works they produced and by giving folks passing through a chance to witness them in action.

In 1984, the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network was created to use the talents of graffiti writers for public arts initiatives, setting the foundation for what Mural Arts is today. Executive Director Jane Golden worked with PAGN for a decade and said she was very grateful for those years and the support they received.

“I don’t think we’d be here without those years of working in communities and working with young people who had extraordinary talent,” Golden said.

She said when PAGN turned into Mural Arts, that opened the doors to “all ways of working,” whether that would be with a paint brush or a spray can.

“I think it’s really important to look at spray as another way of creating public art,” Golden said. “Back in the day, there were real divisions between graffiti, street art, muralism and real, legitimate public art. People saw that as sculpture and not so much even murals, and what I love about today’s contemporary climate is that all those areas, we all inspire and influence each other.”

Research conducted at Drexel University in 2019 showed mural programs had “long-lasting and positive impacts” in the communities they serve, as well as showing that “mural-making practices are of significant importance for minority community engagement and cultural representation.”

Mural Arts Institute Director Joseph Iacona said more than 4,000 murals have adorned various walls across Philadelphia over the years and hopes the efforts to connect communities through the projects continue.

“Murals kind of come and go by the changing of our city,” Iacona said. “We will continue making murals I hope for many more years, but it’s the practices that we put into place. The mural is a really important symbol of the community engagement process that is so instrumental to our work, and in the end, these works of public art represent people, and I think that’s what this work is about.”

According to the 2022 Mural Arts Annual Report, roughly $2.7 million was invested into the city’s “creative economy.” Golden said the organization has also employed roughly 6,000 artists over the years, including when PAGN was still operating.

“So many artists have gotten their start with us and they’ve gone on to work around the country and around the world,” Golden said.

Philadelphians can also submit pitches for murals around the city and can connect artists interested in working with the program for the projects. By creating more works, Golden said not only would that help Philly become a “global city,” but also an “international leader as it comes to arts and culture.”

“We just need to provide as much support as possible so we can continue to grow and thrive and impact Philadelphia,” Golden said. “I always say that art ignites change, but I see that change on individuals, on communities, and think about the civic impact on Philadelphia because we’ve created all this work that resonates with people.”

Multiple events are scheduled throughout October celebrating the 40th anniversary of Mural Arts, including a Jill Scott mural tribute dedication Oct. 10, another dedication for Philly’s first permanent voting-themed mural Oct. 22 and a wrap-up celebration at REC Philly Oct. 26.