At long last, spring has sprung! The sun is out and it’s time to explore. Luckily, Philly has one of the largest collections of public murals in the world, plus hundreds of commissioned sculptures and an ever-growing collection of street art. In many ways, the city is just one big outdoor art museum. To celebrate the new season, Billy Penn has put together a list of striking outdoor pieces, both new and old, to go see and bask in the spring air.
Folding the Prism
1217 Spring Garden Street
Folding the Prism is a bold, bright mural packed with color. Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn, two Baltimore artists, created this ode to Philly’s textile industry history. The entire artwork resembles a big, mismatched quilt, with shapes inspired by city structures and surrounding nature. Rays of sunshine radiate in certain sections, giving the piece extra pop on a sunny day.
Warehouse on Watts
923 North Watts Street
Philadelphians typically step inside the Warehouse on Watts for music and creative experiences, but the building’s exterior is also a canvas for street art projects. From candy hearts telling Philadelphians that they’re beautiful to artwork promoting world peace to striking images of female beauty and nature, there is plenty to see as you walk on by.
Rittenhouse square animals
Rittenhouse Square
There’s somewhat of a mini zoo taking place in Rittenhouse Square. For kids in the city, it’s a right of passage to hop on and ride the billy goat statue, aka Billy, and snap a photo on the plaza’s southwest walk. Children and adults alike can wander around and take in the various bronze, stone and granite animals concentrated in the park, including a giant frog that sits in a flower bed, a little girl holding a duck, two well-behaved greyhounds and a majestic lion taking down a serpent. Each piece tells a story, spanning more than 100 years.
Untitled collage
1200 Christian Street
Created on an old brick building on Christian Street, this unique street art collage pops with symbolism. Artist Sean Lugo organized the wall, bringing together 50 different street artists. Gritty is dressed as the grim reaper. The Wawa logo sits above a skull. An anthropomorphic pit bull wields a machete in one hand and Lugo’s signature teddy bear head in the other. The Doomed Future symbol appears on the dog’s T-shirt, as well as on a black-and-white American flag. Feeling the pressures of social and political chaos? Head to this artwork and try to unpack it all.
Dr. J mural
1234 Ridge Ave
It’s rare for a mural to stand the test of time, especially in a city like Philadelphia, where citizens have a strange knack for destroying public works. And yet, the Julius Erving Mural is still standing strong. Painted in 1990, the legendary Sixers player wears a striking tan suit and glasses – quite the contrast from the basketball jersey one might expect. He is painted in a hyper-realistic style and stands in a power pose with his gaze fixated on the viewer. According to lore, the real Dr. J had tears in his eyes the first time he saw it.
Government of the People sculpture
1401 John F Kennedy Blvd
City Hall is surrounded by dozens of artistic sculptures, including the famous LOVE sculpture, the Clothespin and, of course, the statue of our iconic namesake atop the building. Still, go and give Jacques Lipchitz’ Government of the People statue a look. This curious giant knot of human arms, legs and torsos represents human struggle and the difficult task of working together to accomplish a goal. The figures tangled together include a family, young lovers and two figures at the top, a man and a woman, holding a symbolic banner of Philadelphia.
Untitled, by Amy Sherald
1108 Sansom Street
Amy Sherald’s best known and biggest work is likely First Lady Michelle Obama’s official portrait that hangs in the National Gallery. However, one of her literal biggest pieces is right here in Philly. Created in 2019, the mural depicts a real Philadelphia student named Najee S. The young woman’s skin appears in black and white and she wears a white-and-black coat. Her hat, however, pops with yellow color. She stares out at the city in front of an electric blue backdrop, evoking questions of identity and public perception.
Swann Memorial fountain
Logan square
Yes, Philly’s most famous fountain at Logan Square is iconic. But can you name the three figures that it depicts? Temperance Movement backer Dr. William Cary Swann championed the project unveiled in 1924 to dissuade folks from alcohol, and celebrate the city’s water instead. After all, it’s important to hydrate. Three Lenape figures evoke different bodies of water. A young native girl with a water basin represents the Wissahickon Creek. A woman with a swan (a pun off Swann’s name) depicts the Schuylkill River, and a strong Lenape man with a spouting fish behind embodies the largest surrounding river, the Delaware. It honors the land our city was built on and its history long before it got the name Philadelphia.
The Thinker
Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 22nd Street
On Philadelphia’s most famous Parkway, passersby can check out The Thinker. What exactly is The Thinker thinking? The figure represents the famous poet Dante Alighieri, contemplating his masterwork The Divine Comedy and eternal damnation. Rodin created the original, larger version of the sculpture and installed it in front of the Panthéon in 1906, during a time of social and political upheaval in France. However, what the statue actually ponders is in the eye of the beholder. After the artist’s wife died, it’s said that the creation took on a new meaning for him in his grief.
Common Threads
Spring Garden and North Broad streets
Created in 1997 and restored in 2011, the Common Threads mural celebrates Philly creatives. Young Philadelphians stand next to and mimic poses of actual historic artwork. At the top, Tameka Jones, a former student at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, towers over the piece as the only student to have her own unique pose. The mural, sometimes called the “Mona Lisa on Broad Street,” celebrates young creative minds.
We the Youth
2147 Ellsworth Street
Keith Haring is one of the most celebrated street artists of all time, and Philly has his only collaborative public mural that remains intact on display. Painted in 1987, Haring created the artwork in collaboration with CityKids of New York and Brandywine Workshop in Philadelphia. The artist painted his expressive figures in primary colors. Action lines surround them as they appear to move dynamically around the building.
Freedom statue
1600 Vine Street
The Freedom statue, by Philly resident Zenos Frudakis, was made in 2000 and depicts a moving narrative through four relief images. In the first, a male statue stands completely still with his arms by his side. He is stiff and imprisoned, attached to a wall. In the second, the man starts to wriggle around. In the third, he lunges forward, reaching ahead. And in the fourth, he has broken free – no longer attached to the wall. He is his own statue. He raises his arms and rejoices, his body imprint left behind.
The Electric Street
6th Street Underpass, 6th and Wood streets
Just around the corner from Pat’s and Geno’s, art lovers can check out The Electric Street, a permanent mural and light installation. Artist David Guinn and light designer Drew Billiau collaborated to turn a Philly block into a neon marvel. Filled with blues, pinks and yellows, The Electric Street will certainly brighten up your night.
Boner 4ever and Forever Boner
3701 N Broad Street
Sometimes things are just so wrong that they’ve got to be right. The “Boner 4ever” and “Forever Boner” graffiti written stories high on either side of the Art Deco Beury building in North Philly has become famous. While we may never know the exact story of this artwork’s origin, legend has it that New York street artist Boner teamed up with Philly artist 4ever to create this perfect match. The graffiti became so beloved, that when developers made plans to renovate the building, it was met with intense backlash. Later, the deal fell through and the iconic graffiti was saved. Boner 4ever, indeed.
Isaiah Zagar’s mural mosaics
Literally all over
Philadelphia’s magic gardens are covered top to bottom with striking mural mosaics from artist Isaiah Zagar. However, the artist’s work is also stamped all over Philadelphia. If you live in South Philly especially, chances are you are a block or two away from multiple titled wonders. The magic gardens have a mural map of all of his work around the city to check out and explore for yourself.
Including every amazing outdoor art project in Philadelphia on this list would be impossible. To get inspired by even more amazing Philadelphia public artworks, the Mural Arts tour season has officially begun. Street Depts is also always highlighting new and exciting street artists in Philly to check out.
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