How Philly became the ‘Mural Capital of the World’

One of Philadelphia’s signature touches and defining achievements are the beautiful murals throughout the city. In total, there are more than 4,000 murals in Philly honoring politicians, athletes, musicians, artists, and much more. Yes, 4,000! The murals give Philly a visual dimension and depth that is unique among U.S. cities and admired across the world. 

And the murals don’t just add to the city’s eye-catching aesthetic. Through Mural Arts Philadelphia, they serve as a force for good.

It is the mission of Mural Arts Philadelphia to inspire “change in people, place, and practice, creating opportunity for a more just and equitable Philadelphia.”

In celebration of the organization’s 40th anniversary, the theme of this year is “Roots & Reimagination,” which honors its past while boldly anticipating the future.

Jane Golden, the executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia since its inception, sat down with Billy Penn to share how Philly became the “Mural Capital of the World.”

How it started

“After graduating from Stanford, I moved to LA, where I did murals. I fell in love with mural-making because of the way they make art available to everyone. Then I got really sick with lupus, and I came back east to be with my family. At a Philadelphia hospital for treatment, I read that Wilson Goode was elected as the first Black mayor, which was hugely exciting,” Golden told Billy Penn. ”He was going to create all these new programs and one of the programs was the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network (PAGN). He said in an interview in the newspaper that it occurred to him that a lot of the kids had talent, so he was going to make sure that his anti-graffiti network had an art program for young people to help clean up the city.

“I sent my resume to Wilson Goode’s office and his head of arts and culture, Oliver Franklin. I got an interview with Tim Spencer, the person in charge of anti-graffiti, who gave me the job,” Golden continued. “I started working with graffiti writers, and we started running our programs everywhere, and then we started doing murals.”

Golden fondly remembers the first commissioned mural she worked on, which came shortly after she began working with the city.

“It was the Spring Garden Street Bridge mural connecting at the art museum in Mantua. I was only part-time, but they wanted to do this mural in three weeks. It was a huge project. If successful, I could have a full-time job. I remember somebody famous was coming to Philly so they wanted to have a big ceremony with the unveiling. Fifty kids from Mantua were working with me, and, like, I loved every single minute of it. After the mural was done, Mayor Goode said, ‘I think I owe you something.’ ”

As the program expanded, many residents and artists began working with the initiative, including a then 12-year-old Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, who would grow up to be a member of the Grammy-winning rap group The Roots. In a full-circle moment, Trotter was honored with the 2024 Visionary Artists Award last May. Golden takes pride in how the program has impacted the youth of the city.

“We worked with 10,000 young people all those years of anti-graffiti and it was really like a workforce development program. We had 3,000 kids in the summer painting murals, and they were making a good hourly rate. We also have hundreds of kids working year-round,” Golden said.

Almost closed down

In the late ‘90s, the program was almost phased out until Golden came up with an idea that kept Philadelphia as the world leader in mural arts.

“When the anti-graffiti closed in 1998, Tim, my former boss, sadly passed away. I thought the program might get shut down,” Golden recalled. “I asked Ed Rendell, who was the mayor at the time, if we could build on the spirit of anti-graffiti and create a community-based public art program — and he agreed.

Since then, the Mural Arts has launched numerous programs, such as Restorative Justice, Art Education, Public Art, and Civil Engagement, Porch Light, and the Murals Arts Institute, to name only a few.

Netanel Portier, Senior Director of Learning and Practice, says Mural Arts is essential to the city in reflecting back and propelling the ever-evolving story of Philly.

“Philadelphia is unique because of Mural Arts’ unparalleled integration into the city’s civic life. No other mural program offers the same consistency, reliability, and depth of engagement,” Portier said.

Phil Asbury, Director of Community Murals, shared how the murals in Philadelphia have changed the narrative in the city and around the globe.

“It can take many forms, but public art is important to everyone. It can be a reflection of identity, an anchor for history, and validation of ideas. It can be an educational tool, a source of inspiration in a dark time, and a daily affirmation of worth and beauty,” Asbury said. 

“The key is its accessibility. Not everyone feels welcome in a museum, not everyone has the money or even gives themselves permission to explore art formally. Public art in all of its forms helps to nurture peoples’ relationship with art. It is a language, a way to transfer energy and express yourself.”

A model for cities across the world

So far this year, Mural Arts Philadelphia has commissioned more than 130 murals and counting. Four decades in, Golden remains excited about her work.

“Because we made it through six mayors now, which is phenomenal. I don’t know if any programs across the country have been able to have, like, sustained support from the city government,” she said. “We’re looked at as an international model. We created a Mural Arts Institute that works with other cities like Hong Kong, L.A., Miami, and other small cities across America. We did a project in Athens, Greece. It’s really fascinating, but it’s been great for Philadelphia because all these people are looking to us.”

As the year nears its end, Golden shared that she’s extremely excited about the next round of murals that will pay tribute to some of Philly’s overlooked legends.

“We’re doing a big project that is a tribute to the artist Henry Tanner. The artist who is creating the mural is George Morton, who was in federal prison studying Tanner’s work and became a classical painter,” Golden explained. “We’re doing a big project that is going to be a tribute to the film industry in Philadelphia. It’s going to be on the back of the Philadelphia Film Society. We’re also working in Kensington on a program called Color Me Back. Then, we’re doing a big mural that’s a tribute to Dick Allen, the Phillies legend.”

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