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Research Paper

 

Philadelphia Mural Arts and Influences

“Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change” (muralarts.org). The belief that art ignites change is not a new phenomenon; some of the most powerful artists and most influential art of the twentieth century was produced during the Mexican Revolution by none other than “Los Tres Grandes” (consisting of Diego Rivera, David Alfáro Siqueros, and José Clemente Orozco). Artist, Judith Baca, uses the saying, “bring the past into the present to inspire the future” (www.judybaca.org) to inform her work. This is the case for the Philadelphia murals. We are able to see the similarities between some of the styles of the Mexican artists and those of Philadelphia Mural Arts. I find the Philadelphia mural series Industrious Light to be quite similar to the panels of the Modern Industrial Man painted by Orozco. Both works depict industrialization in history and the work of  people with factories and machines.

Mural Arts Philadelphia is a non-profit organization that welcomes donations and volunteers. Mural Arts has a team of over fifty volunteers, and was founded in 1984 by Jane Golden. The program works to redirect the attention of youth and adults from vandalism into productive and creative community projects or initiatives. This not only builds healthy relationships between artists, volunteers, and general communities, but it also fosters a dialogue between community members about how crucial artistic expression can be to every individual. It is an undeniable fact that art brings people together. It is something that every society has in common; they choose to express themselves through studio art, literature, poetry, music, and other forms of art. Whether an individual lives in the Middle East, or lives in one of the fifty states, one thing that unites humanity is coming together to acknowledge and appreciate the value of art. This is a concept that Mural Arts works to achieve within all of its programs. Along with this, the Mural Arts program tries to keep at risk youth from partaking in dangerous and criminal activity. Lead instructor, P.T. Schwabb, touched on the subject expressing that, “there are a lot of drugs, a lot of opportunities to do the wrong things, and go down the wrong path. We connect with them and plug them into something positive, and channel their energy in positive ways” (Jane Golden). From the very beginning of MAP, their main recruits have been young men. So by reaching out primarily to these young men, they are changing the very direction of their future and reshaping a community of young minds. MAP has had an extremely successful format, and has engaged more than 12, 000 young artists. With a goal in mind and a mission in place, the program has had an incredible success rate and a beautifully unique and picturesque city.

Who authorizes the murals and what is the process they must go through to become finished murals? MAP was originally funded by the anti-graffiti sector of the municipal government, but was transferred into a more positive branch in 1997; the Department of Recreation. The program is run and facilitated by a volunteer Board of Directors. All murals must be reviewed by Mural Arts staff, other artists, and community representatives, in order to be approved. The wall gets assessed for any structural concerns, which are then fixed, and so the painting begins. Each mural is given a budget, the average being around $25 000. Funding comes from a variety of sources; corporate partners, individual donors, and money set aside by the program. The Municipal government contributes approximately $1.4 billion a year toward the program’s $6.5 billion budget. Each mural is painted in one of two ways; either directly on the wall allowing the artists to use scaling equipment, or on parachute cloth which is then fixed to the wall. The latter method being more accessible for certain volunteers whether they be children, or come from restrictive environments like prisons or hospitals. These murals can take anywhere from six to twelve months to finish, though, depending on the size of the project some take much longer. These murals really benefit the community. A study done in 2009 by Econsult found that “murals are one of the few investments a city can make in commercial areas to have a positive impact on property values and retail sales” (www.billypenn.com). This is possible because the murals take buildings that are unappealing to the eye and turn them into well-maintained buildings which in turn can cause property values and retail sales to go up. The murals also generate employment. MAP employs over 300 people a year, some of whom would otherwise have trouble finding jobs i.e. people just out of prison.

In 1932, John D. Rockefeller Jr. commissioned Rivera’s Man At The Crossroads when Rivera proposed a 63 foot long portrait of workers facing symbolic crossroads of industry, science, socialism, and capitalism. Rivera thought that because he was a friend of the family’s, he would be able to slip Lenin and his communist views into the painting. When Rockefeller saw this he was appalled. Rivera made a counter offer saying he’d balance it with the image of Abraham Lincoln on the other side, but the Rockefellers were not happy and had it demolished in 1934 before the building was finished. This shows how if the people commissioning the art do not agree with the view represented in the artwork, that it will not be displayed. This is also the case in Philadelphia; the mural ideas must go through revision by the funders, Mural Arts staff, community members, and artists in order to be approved.

I was very interested in doing a research project on Mural Arts Philadelphia because I had been there and seen lots of the spectacular murals myself. This Christmas break I was in Philadelphia for a day and got to explore some of the downtown streets. I was in awe of just how many murals there were. The murals definitely made an impact on me and I’m sure many other tourists. This is an example of how murals help the economy, because I know I will want to come back as I’m sure the murals are an attraction for many other tourists.

The most important goal of Mural Arts Philadelphia is to ignite change. They are achieving this goal every day by inspiring young artists, helping the economy, employing people who might otherwise have trouble finding work, and starting a conversation about what matters in a community. It is truly a remarkable program.

 

Works Cited

Golden, Jane, Robin Rice, and Monica Yant. Kinney. Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They

Tell. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2002. Print.

Golden, Jane, David Updike, and Rick Lowe. Philadelphia Mural Arts @ 30. Philadelphia, PA:

Temple UP, 2014. Print.

Golden, Jane, Robin Rice, Natalie Pompilio, David Graham, and Jack Ramsdale. More

Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 2006. Print.

"Art for Social Change: Mobilization Through Murals." Adina Allen | Rabbi. N.p., n.d. Web. 17

Mar. 2017.

"About." Mural Arts Philadelphia. Mural Arts Philadelphia, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.
Silverman, Lauren. "On Philly's Walls, Murals Painted With Brotherly Love." NPR. NPR, 23

Aug. 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

Stamm, Dan. "Philly Mural Crushes Cars." NBC 10 Philadelphia. NBC 10 Philadelphia, 17 Mar.

  1. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

Wu, Huizhong. “Murals 101: How Philly’s Public Art Project Works.” Billy Penn. N.p., 02 Dec.

  1. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

Includes photos credited to Mural Arts, Steve Weinik, Scott Power, and Jack Brassart.