Philadelphia’s Murals Have Been Decades in the Making

This article is part of the Fine Arts & Exhibits special section on the art world stretching boundaries with new artists, new audiences and new technology. Jane Golden was in a coffee shop, describing how murals sometimes get lost to construction, when a young woman approached and politely interrupted her. “Are you Jane Golden?” she asked. “I just want to say thank you for everything you do for the community.” “That really makes my day, thank you so much,” Golden replied. That kind of thing happens to her a lot, Golden said. As the executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Golden has been the program’s tireless leader since its inception as the Anti-Graffiti Network. She went from being a muralist tasked with keeping young people from writing on walls to a recognizable champion of public art. From its origins in 1984, working with graffiti artists to engage them in public art, the organization has evolved, expanding as its influence grew, creating more programming and building connections. Mural Arts has placed thousands of murals across the city, giving Philadelphia the unofficial moniker “mural capital of the world.” The tours that the organization runs...