ArtistsNetwork.com 65missiontocreatepublicartthatempowerspeople,stimu-
latesdialogueandbuildsbridgestogreaterunderstanding.Golden Alchemy
Notsurprisingly,it wasanartistwhofoundedMuralArts
Philadelphia,transformingit froma grassrootseffortin
1984 toanofficialcityagencyby 1996 and,eventually,
toitscurrentstatusasthecountry’slargestpublic-art
program.HernameisJaneGolden,andshewasorigi-
nallyhiredbyformerMayorWilsonGoodetoaddress
Philadelphia’spervasivegraffitiproblemaspartofthe
Anti-GraffitiNetwork.Convincingseveraltalentedgraffiti
writerstoredirecttheircreativitytowardpublicmural
art,Goldenworkedwithexistingprogramsandbuiltnew
onestotransformneglectedand
dividedneighborhoodswithtowering
messagesofhope,unity,peaceand
acceptance.Developingprogramsover
theyearsinpartnershipwithother
nonprofitagenciesandorganizations,
Goldenfocusedonpublicartinservice
toyoutheducation,restorativejustice,
mentalhealthandwellness,andart
preservation.Asa result,MuralArts
Philadelphiagrewintoa globalmodel
forredefiningpublicspacesandindi-
viduallivesthroughmuralart.
Goldenbeganhercareerasan
outdoormuralpainterinLosAngeles
beforerelocatingtoPhiladelphiain
1984.“Iwasalwaysinspiredbythe
ideaofmakingartforpublicspace,”
Goldensays.“WhenI firststarted
creatingmuralart,I realizedit was
suchaninterestingintersectionof
myinterestsinpolitics,socialchange,
urbanplanning,designandeduca-
tion.Muralsbringa levelofartistic
accessibilityandvisibilitythatcan’t
alwaysbeachievedina galleryor
museumsetting.I believethatartis
foreveryone,andI lovetheideaofart
existingoutsideofbrick-and-mortar
spacesandreachinglarger,more
diverseaudiences.”
Atthebeginningofherpartnership
withtheAnti-GraffitiNetwork(the
precursortoMuralArtsPhiladelphia),
Goldenhadanepiphanywhenshe
realizedthepowerartcouldhave
inhelpingcitiessolvecivic,social
andpublicproblems.“Itwasextra-
ordinarywhenI sawthecitybegin
toacknowledgetheimportanceof
creativityandartaswaystohelp
deliverpublicservices,”sherecalls.“There are overwhelming issues that
all cities face and, unfortunately,
traditional interventions can some-
times fail us. Solutions are often
found when one thinks outside of the
box; artists can deliver something that
others cannot.”Murals With
Meaning
What artists can deliver are com-
pelling visual messages that
communicate to viewers in myriad
impactful ways, and the murals
throughout Philadelphia are proof.
The 1998 Peace Wall (pages 62–63),
by Jane Golden and Peter Pagast, for
instance, was painted when racial
strife in the Grays Ferry neighbor-
hood of Southwest Philadelphia made
national headlines. The mural shows
the hands of children of different
colors extended toward one another
in friendship, with the scripture
Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peace-
makers, for they shall be called the
children of God,” written beside it.
Muralist Meg Saligman’s eight-
story-high mural, Common Threads
(page 63), created in 1999 at Broad
and Spring Garden Streets, is a per-
sonal favorite of Golden’s. She points
out that it’s “breathtakingly beautiful
and gives children the respect and
dignity they deserve. I also think
it was one of the first projects that
allowed us to see the full potential
of art in public space.” Another pow-
erful example is the mural Embrace
Second Chances (opposite), by Donald
Gensler, which depicts various scenes
of reconciliation and forgiveness,
including a grandmother embracing
a young man who has returned home.
While some murals in Philadelphia
promote communal unity and peace,
others serve as banners of pride for
the city’s milestone moments in poli-
tics, human rights, sports or culture.
Remembering a Forgotten Hero (left),
the 2018 mural by Keir Johnston and
the late Willis “Nomo” Humphrey,
is the first mural to honor Octavius
Catto. This civil-rights activist, who
lived in South Philadelphia, wasRemembering a
Forgotten Hero
by Keir Johnston and
Willis “Nomo”
Humphrey
located on the
Universal Institute
Charter School, 1415
Catherine Avenue,
Philadelphia; acrylic
mural paint
PHOTO BY STEVE WEINIK