We are in the 80’s and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, like many other big American cities, has its own racial drama. In 1984, Wilson Good, the first afro-american mayor created an anti-graphiti program to regenerate the communities. In the beginning, taggers and other Philadelphians didn’t believe in the change. But there weren’t counting on the energy and optimism of Jane Goldman, Artist and Program Director.
30 years later, Philadelphia is internationally acclaimed as the largest outdoor art gallery in the world. Not less than 30 000 teenagers and others coming from over 100 communities have transformed their neighborhood and their lives with 3 600 painted public murals. The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program is recognized as the worldwide leader in art serving a community.
What is their pallet of core values? Here is an extract:
“Art Ignites Change : Art heals, art unites, and art changes minds in a convincing fashion”
“We beats me… Everything we do is by and for the community. There’s no “I” in mural.”
“Create Fearlessly: We see our chances and we take ‘em. And we’re having a hell of a good time.”
And so do we when we go through your magnificent realizations.
Congrats and see you soon in Philadelphia!