Artist #4: Murals of Philadelphia

When people think of art, they generally think of beautiful paintings or sculptures or frescos that adorn the walls of museums or else very expensive households — but there is another form of unexpected art that really is a lot more down-to-earth and common more in cities and populated, poorer urban areas — graffiti, the random scribblings and doodle art that commonly adorns the side of run-down buildings and the back of old trucks. While crude initials spray-painted onto the side of a wall is generally not looked upon by many as a very appreciable form of art, a smart, eye-catching design on the blank canvas of an old factory wall is a very different matter. There was a project started in Philadelphia that focused on turning this type of graffiti into a positive form of expression — murals that really captured the city culture and trends in civic life. This project, Murals of Philadelphia, was a public art program that encouraged local would-be graffiti artists to utilize their talent instead to portray various landscapes, cityscapes, or individuals, and thus creating a lasting cultural legacy. In the past 25 years, the Mural Arts program produced over 3,000 works of art, each with its unique artist and story. What I really like about these murals is that they all seem to have a very positive effect on the neighborhood — people in each mural are working together, building a better future. There are bright, happy colors and positive subject matters. Children are playing and sunny skies at the top of many murals seems to be a common theme. Moreover, they include people from all backgrounds and walks of life. The creators of the program saw the raw talent and potential in many young graffiti artists and strove to involve these young people instead in opportunities for positive civic engagement. As the end result, instead of defacing property, countless works of graffiti beautify the community.