Dr J in Philadelphia Mural
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Dr J in Philadelphia Mural
| How do you build a better City? It is a question much on the minds of people everywhere today- governments aren't investing the way they used to in urban infrastructure and yet, accoring to Urbanist Jane Jacobs, Cities, Towns and Villages are the most fundamental contributors to economic progress. So we should take better care of them. One line of thinking is that Citizens should themselves particiapte more in making their Cities better places to live without necessarily relying solely on governments to do it for them. | Jane Golden was living in California some 15 years ago and was diagnosed with a terminal disease She decided to return to her home town (Philly). During her time there, she decided to do something worthwhile for the inner city, which was badly decaying. The treatment of the 'public room' was atrocious- street lights didn't work, public benches destroyed, windows broken, railings busted, doors akimbo, trash everywhere, petty crime ubiquitous. |
| There are many 'catalysts' that act on cities and 'anti-catalysts' too. Catalysts act to make a City a more liveable place and anti-catalysts do the reverse. There is a program in Philadelphia founded and run by Jane Golden which is an inspiration to all. It is called the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (MAP) and it could be adapted for implementation in other cities. It has raised millions of dollars for the arts; it has promoted local artists; it has brought grafitti artists in from the cold; it has encouraged tourism in Philly; it has improved quality of life there. | Jane understood that reversing all this would take time and would require that people think of the public room much as they do about their own private property- they have to care about it. So she enlisted local graffiti artists and civic minded Philly Companies to help her start MAP- MAP would be a catalyst for taking back the streets. They started with Dr J, a local Hero and a famous NBA Star. The resulting Mural is shown above- note that Dr J is in a business suit and not his NBA uniform. It shows kids a different aspect of Dr J; Dr J, the professional person after his sporting career is over; Dr J, a respected member of the Philladelphia community. There are now more than 1,200 outdoor murals in Philadelphia and people come from all over to take walking tours of places they would never have seen or felt comfortable walking about in just a few years ago. |
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Want to help start a Mural Arts Program in your City? Contact us: Craig Schoen, Program Manager, draugh@live.com. |
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Ottawa, Canada Murals Have an example of a great outdoor mural you want to share with us? Send it to info@muralarts.ca. Tell us where it is too (e.g., the southeast corner of XYZ Street and 1234 Avenue, Ottawa, ON or wherever.) |
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| Draugh.com www.DramatisPersonae.org
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