Art Community: The Mural Arts Program

Philadelphia is known for a lot of things (both good and bad) yet few outside of its limits know that Philly is also known for its mural arts.  In fact, Philadelphia has the most murals in the country.

This is all started back in 1984 when founder, Jane Golden, was requested by the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network to help curb the epidemic of illegal graffiti writing.  Instead of berating the graffiti artists, the Mural Arts Program sought them out to collaborate on projects that would become much bigger, much more ambitious than anything, any one writer could accomplish on his/her own.   She gave them license to use the city as their canvas for works that would live forever. 

---

As artists, we always look to do what’s cutting edge.  We strive to make an impact and defy the status quo.  This is all well-and-good but there is something to gain when you can use that same creative edge and ingenuity in a way that serves the larger public.  Today, many of Philly’s earliest Graffiti artists are well-known and well-paid staples in the art community.

Check out some of the city’s most popular murals below: