Mural Arts is searching for a Philadelphia artist to honor the city’s queer history in a new installation in the Gayborhood.
Applications to design the mural on the exterior of the Voyeur nightclub, at 1221 St. James St., open Wednesday. The mural will include four to six trailblazers in Philly’s LGBTQ+ community, such as Unity co-founder Tyrone Smith, activist Jaci Adams and Gloria Casarez, the city’s first LGBT Affairs director. It also will depict the work of the people honored.
The mural will be dedicated in June. In addition to being Pride Month, June also kicks off a busy summer in Philadelphia, including the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on Independence.
“As people flock to Philadelphia in 2026, we want to make sure that even more of our LGBTQ+ histories are on the walls of our city,” said Conrad Benner, project manager and founder of street art organization Streets Dept. “In this, the ‘Mural Capital of the World,’ it’s important that our stories are told in our public space.”
Applicants must submit qualifications to Mural Arts, including general information and stylistic ideas. Once an artist has been selected, community members and the site owner will provide feedback on the design, which must be approved by an internal design review committee. The deadline to submit applications is Nov. 2.
Mural Arts said the mural will build on the success of the “Finally on 13th!” display at 306 S. 13th St. by Nilé Livingston. That piece, installed in November 2023, honors queer Black ballroom culture, the tradition of “walking” in competitions featuring dance, lip-syncing, modeling, voguing and other performances.
Community members can help paint the mural on two painting days ahead of the final installation. The mural is in partnership with the Washington Square West Civic Association and the office of Councilmember Rue Landau (D-At-Large).
After four months of renovations, the Film Society Center theater in Center City is ready to relaunch next week. And while its new bar and lobby remain locked away and hidden for the time being, audiences can already see one major addition on the back of the building.
Splashed across the brick wall on the 1400 block of Sansom Street is an eye-catching tribute to movies set and shot in Philadelphia – plus the local organizations that support filmmaking and film culture. “Films Shaped by a City,” a new mural by artist Marian Bailey, will be officially dedicated in a Friday ceremony. But it’s been getting early buzz from curious onlookers since its completion.
“I have driven past this wall quite a few times and now that the mural is up I like to pass by it when I can,” Bailey said. “And so it’s always fun to see people just stopping and looking at it because it’s so colorful. I try to hear what people are pointing out, but I don’t always capture that. So I’m definitely curious to see which ones people are more drawn to.”
The project, over two years in the making, was a collaboration between Mural Arts, Philadelphia Film Society and BlackStar Projects. Representatives from the latter two groups and others formed an advisory panel to finalize a list of movies and groups to feature in the mural; they also used a public survey of Philadelphians to help guide the choices.
The local institutions featured include PFS and BlackStar Projects but also Scribe Video Center, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, cinéSPEAK, Lightbox Film Center, the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, PhillyCAM, ReelBlack, Secret Cinema and the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival. Departed rental chain TLA Video and the shuttered QFest also get shout-outs.
As for the movies, the mural contains 11. The oldest are from 1976, while the newest premiered in 2020. See if you can spot them all on Sansom. Here’s a little background info on each:
12 Monkeys
This sci-fi film opens in 2035 in a post-apocalyptic Philadelphia. But the crew shot in the 1995 version of the city, using Eastern State Penitentiary, Girard College and the Pennsylvania Convention Center as some of its sets.
Blow Out
As a fictional serial killer called the Liberty Bell Strangler terrorizes the city, a sound editor tries to expose a massive political conspiracy and cover-up. That’s the basic plot of this 1981 thriller, directed by Philly native Brian De Palma – who also used his hometown for the chase scene in “Dressed to Kill.”
Concrete Cowboy
This recent Netflix movie dramatizes the urban cowboy culture of North Philadelphia and features real riders from the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club. Bailey was especially excited to incorporate “Concrete Cowboy” into the mural.
“I love going to like Clark Park and seeing the cowboys on their horses, giving rides to children,” she said. “So I wanted to make sure that that was represented. Especially because we live in this metro area and every time I see them on their horses, I just get really, really excited.”
Mikey and Nicky
Two crooked pals hide out from the mob and work through long-standing frustrations in this ’70s classic. Director Elaine May, another Philly native, filmed in the city over the summer of 1973. Locations included the former Nixon Theatre on 52nd Street, the Woodlands cemetery and former Essex Hotel on Filbert Street.
“Something from a different era can really tell you a lot about a place,” Bailey added.
Night Catches Us
Set in 1976, this historical drama follows a former Black Panther returning to Philadelphia for his father’s funeral. “Night Catches Us” shot in the city in 2009 and features a score by the Roots. Its director Tanya Hamilton, who lived in Philly for several years, apparently fought her producers to keep the story set in Germantown.
Philadelphia
The Boss penned an Oscar-winning song about the “Streets of Philadelphia” for this LGBTQ+ legal drama. The trial scenes unfold in courtroom 243 inside City Hall, per the production notes, while other scenes feature the University of Pennsylvania library and former Spectrum arena.
Rocky
No Philly film tribute would be complete without the city’s unofficial mascot Rocky Balboa. For this piece of the mural, Bailey tried to lean on familiar iconography without making a direct copy of the famous statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
“The big thing here is the Rocky statue, but we didn’t want it to be too reminiscent of that,” she said. “And so we settled on an Italian flag and it says ‘Rocky’ and there is still Rocky with his hands in the air. But it doesn’t look like things that you’ve seen before.”
Silver Linings Playbook
Jenkintown native Bradley Cooper stars with Jennifer Lawrence in this romantic dramedy about grief, mental illness and the Birds. While “Silver Linings Playbook” filmed its dance finale at the Franklin Residences, perhaps the most crucial scene takes place inside the Llanerch Diner on 95 E Township Line Rd.
The Sixth Sense
Pedestrians passing by the mural won’t find a painted miniature of M. Night Shyamalan, but the Penn Valley filmmaker is represented through his breakout hit “The Sixth Sense.” The 1999 film’s title is hidden inside an eye hovering over the left side of the mural. The imagery, according to Bailey, is a riff on the movie’s oft-quoted line, “I see dead people.”
The Watermelon Woman
Temple and Rutgers alum Cheryl Dunye set her feature debut in Philadelphia. The 1996 movie, now considered a landmark LGBTQ+ film, stars the director herself as a video store clerk trying to make a documentary about a Black actress credited only as “the watermelon woman” in a classic Hollywood film.
Trading Places
This modern spin on “The Prince and the Pauper” takes place in the city during Christmastime. “Trading Places” transformed the Curtis Institute of Music into a members-only club and the Community College of Philadelphia into a police station over its weekslong winter shoot. Bailey painted stars Dan Akyroyd and Eddie Murphy in a pose similar to the one they strike on the movie’s poster, but set them inside a $50 bill with a phrase from the final scene – “Looking good, feeling good.”
“I just think that’s such a goofy movie,” Bailey said. “And even the illustration that I came up with for it is really goofy.”
In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” we’re heading to the Organization of American States building in Downtown D.C. to get an exclusive tour of the “Roots of Peace” mural.
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The world’s longest mural can be found underground in Downtown DC
Walking by the Washington Monument on D.C.’s National Mall, you might never know it’s just beneath your feet.
In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” we’re heading to the Organization of American States building in Downtown D.C. to get an exclusive tour of “Roots of Peace,” the world’s longest underground mural, during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Located in the basement of the building, “Roots of Peace” was painted by Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró in 1960, and has been refurbished on multiple occasions since.
It’s more than 530 feet long, only slightly shorter than the Washington Monument if it was laid on its side, and emphasizes themes of tolerance, respect for liberties and cultural exchange — among others. The mural connects two different buildings on the Organization of American States campus. You enter underneath 17th Street and reemerge on 18th Street.
If you don’t know, the Organization of American States is one of the world’s oldest international organizations formed in the 1880s, with 34 member nations from the Western Hemisphere participating today. Many of the participating member states are Latin American countries. Ambassadors, appointed by the governments of member nations, get together on the campus to talk about international policy and intergovernmental cooperation.
Pops of vibrant color, with connecting black lines outlining faces and outstretched arms, make this creation, inspired by abstract artists such as Picasso, a one-of-a-kind piece.
“Roots of Peace” was initially just meant for employees and ambassadors of the organization to view. But now, it’s open to the public for limited touring — if you’re lucky enough to grab a spot!
Rising with the downtown Phoenix skyline, a 100-foot-tall, vibrantly colorful mural of author James Baldwin gazes out over the city. Created by native Phoenician Antoinette Cauley for the Ten-O-One Building in 2020, at the height of a year marked by the murder of George Floyd, racial justice protests, the COVID-19 pandemic and Trump’s first impeachment, the mural is a permanent reminder of resilience in the face of injustice…
Right now, Garland seems as if an art museum was broken into pieces and sent back out into the world to be put back together. Art Vibe Garland presents this challenge of sorts, debuting eight unique pop-up exhibitions solely by North Texas artists…
Denver-based artist, Anna Charney, works on a mural on the side of the Mango House.
Molly Cruse/Denverite
For the last few weeks, spray cans and aerial lifts have been scattered outside buildings along a stretch of East Colfax as teams of artists from all over the country gathered to participate in the fifth annual Colfax Canvas Mural Festival.
Among those artists is Danielle Seewalker, a Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta citizen from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and a Denver-based artist who exploded onto the art scene in the last few years.
Over the last few days, SeeWalker and Cante Eagle Horse — a Denver-based tattooer and artist and member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe — worked together to design a mural on the side of DIA Market in Aurora.
Coming back from a ‘crappy experience’ with Vail
Earlier this year, the Town of Vail canceled SeeWalker’s residency after someone raised concerns about a piece of artwork she created — unrelated to the residency — commenting on the war in Gaza.
“It was a crappy experience,” SeeWalker said. “It violated First Amendment rights. The piece, ‘G is for Genocide,’ had nothing to do with my residency, it had nothing to do with Vail. It was something I had done months prior for a different exhibition.”
Indigenous artists Danielle SeeWalker and Cante Eagle Horse’s mural on the side of DIA Market in Aurora. Earlier this year, the Town of Vail canceled SeeWalker’s residency after someone raised concerns about a piece of artwork she created — unrelated to the residency — commenting on the war in Gaza.Molly Cruse/Denverite
SeeWalker did not only turn down other job opportunities because of the residency with the Town of Vail, but she also says that she was disappointed that she was not given a chance to defend her work.
Aaron Vega, the executive producer of Colfax Canvas, called SeeWalker’s experience earlier this year “gut-wrenching.”
But he believes mural festivals like Colfax Canvas, “do a great job of making sure that artists are seen and heard and have an opinion.”
“Mural festivals that really speak to the community, and work with artists like Danielle and make sure that they are seen and heard, I think, are going to be more valuable in the long run,” Vega said. “Because the truth is when we’re all gone … the thing that will be remembered is the art.”
Murals are ‘part of the landscape of our lives’
That same sentiment is shared by other mural artists.
“[Murals] become a substantial part of the landscape of our lives,” Denver-based artist Anna Charney said. “…What attracts me to murals is the power to bring artwork to various communities and see immediately how your artwork affects communities or neighborhoods or people individually.”
But unlike other art mediums, painting murals comes with its own unique set of challenges.
Battling Colorado’s unpredictable weather, a small army of wasps, cracking walls, chipped paint, and the occasional heckler are just a few of the challenges the Mango House team has faced over the last few days, but Ally Grimm — a street artist who goes by the pseudonym A.L. Grime — says that this is just a small price to pay for creating art that is accessible to the public.
“Often art gets put behind glass cases or behind closed doors,” A.L. Grime said. “So it’s awesome to get to share narratives out in the street and get to really leave our work with communities.”
Mural artists shine a light on the humanity of Venezuelan immigrants
SeeWalker and Cante Eagle Horse are just one of four teams of artists participating in this year’s Colfax Canvas Mural Festival.
Across a parking lot from the DIA Market, three Denver-based artists have spent the last few days painting the side of Mango House, a former JC Penney building that is now a community center for refugees.
“We’re painting Maria Corina Machado, who is the opposition leader in Venezuela,” Venezuelan-American artist Ally Grimm, or A.L. Grime, said. “Since Mango House is a refugee resource center, we wanted to paint someone who really represents this idea of going home.”
Ally Grimm, who goes by the pseudonym A.L. Grime, looks up at the mural of Maria Corina Machado — a Venezuelan opposition leader — she is painting with artists ILL.DES and Anna Charney on the side of Mango House in Aurora.Molly Cruse/Denverite
And while she and the rest of the Mango House artist team — ILL.DES and Anna Charney — started planning the mural before Aurora made national headlines about a “Venezuelan gang takeover,” she hopes that the mural provides “a reminder that at the end of the day, we’re all people and we all deserve a little bit of humanity.”
Colfax Canvas Mural Festival is on Saturday, Sept. 14, from noon to 5 p.m. at Fletcher Plaza in Aurora, at the intersection of Colfax and Emporia.
Colfax canvas artists work to finish the portrait of of the Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, on the side of Mango House. Artist A.L. Grime, a Venezuelan-American, says that Machado is a symbol of hope for many Venezuelan refugees.Molly Cruse/Denverite
A Jersey Shore town is planning to unveil some monumental new artwork just in time for the summer season.
In June, Atlantic City will debut its largest mural, spanning 19 stories on The Atlantic apartment building at 300 Atlantic Avenue. The piece, which will incorporate flora native to the shore, will also be the 100th mural completed through the Atlantic City Arts Foundation nonprofit organization.
The new mural will be created by renowned Swiss-American artist Mona Caron. Caron is known for a series of multi-story murals celebrating the “rebellious resilience” of weeds. Larger-than-life pieces in her “WEEDS” series can be seen sprouting on buildings across the world, from New York City to Switzerland and Taiwan.
“My WEEDS project is a tribute to resilience against all odds,” Caron said in a release. “I paint spontaneously occurring wild plants, native or non-native, and paint them big, at a scale inversely proportional to the attention and regard they get. It’s a metaphoric salute to the struggle of authentic grassroots communities, and it’s a reminder that we need to shift Nature’s ranking in our priorities.”
Installation of the mural is scheduled to begin next month and take place over a six-week period. Caron will work in collaboration with a team of assistant muralists that includes Charles Barbin and Randi Meekins-Barbin, co-owners of Dunes Art Gallery in Brigantine.
The mural is scheduled to be unveiled in June at the 48 Blocks Atlantic City festival. 48 Blocks — which references the number of blocks that Atlantic City spans — is the flagship program of the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, and includes the shore town’s mural arts initiative that launched in 2017 and has since transformed Atlantic City into an outdoor gallery. A map of the city’s murals can be accessed online.
“We’ve seen firsthand that murals not only beautify our city, but also boost community pride, drive economic development, and attract tourism,” Kate O’Malley, executive director of the Atlantic City Arts Foundation, said in a release. “Mona Caron’s mural will further highlight Atlantic City as a destination for arts and culture.”
A well-done mural can enhance a home’s value, but is mainly a personalization benefit of the … [+] homeowner.
Architect: Court Atkins Group / Interior Designer: Adrienne Warner / Photographer: Kelli Boyd
Zillow recently announced its six hottest home trends to watch for in 2024. Four of them are wellness related. No one should be surprised by this, as homeowners are increasingly acknowledging and appreciating the links between their living spaces and quality of life. That’s showing up in both home improvement and resale reports.
Here are the trends the real estate platform cited, and why designers and real estate professionals interviewed in writing about them agree — with a few caveats.
Sensory Gardens and Pathways
Sensory gardens, like this one in Charleston, delight multiple senses with beauty, scent and even … [+] sound.
Glen Gardner
What Zillow reported:
“Sensory gardens have been surging in popularity, with homeowners and home buyers prioritizing functional and beautiful outdoor space as a way to reconnect with nature. Listings mentioning sensory gardens or pathways are up 314% compared to last year.”
Zillow home trends expert Amanda Pendleton ties this popular amenity to the extended time we spent at home during the pandemic increasing our passion for connecting with nature. “Sensory gardens concentrate those benefits by engaging all five senses,” she shared.
They’re appearing most often in Philadelphia and Chicago metro areas, she noted.
What Experts Say:
“The demand for sensory outdoor experiences has been growing, driven by families and work-from-home professionals who value both educational outdoor spaces for children and a tranquil environment to offset home offices,” noted Megan Majd with Compass on Los Angeles’ Westside. She sees potential marketability enhancement from these features. “Greenery and outdoor spaces are always on the wishlist for buyers. Sensory gardens cater to a particular clientele who is aware of the wellness value these bring to their lives.”
Charleston, South Carolina-based landscape architect Glenn Gardner commented, “Sensory gardens and paths are a part of nearly all [our] projects, whether they are specifically requested or not — as I use them as a part of good design.” He includes fragrant elements like jasmine, gardenia, citrus blossoms, and tea olives. “It’s also wonderful to integrate an occasional edible like blueberries or figs along a pathway to grab a few while in the garden and eat while wandering. I am also a big fan of tucking herbs into the landscape, being able to run out and grab some sprigs of rosemary, bay leaves, thyme and oregano.”
Cold Plunge Pools
Cold plunge pools are in demand for indoor and outdoor use.
“Cold plunge pools are the hottest wellness trend of 2024, touted by influencers as a way to improve circulation and reduce inflammation. The share of listings that feature an at-home cold plunge pool is up 130% compared to last year.”
Pendleton commented, “We typically see built-in cold plunge pools as a feature in luxury homes, but there are an increasing number of portable plunge pools now on the market. From large plug-in models to inflatable plunge pools, anyone can get the benefits of a cold-plunge pool at all different price points, making this wellness trend more accessible than ever.”
Cold plunge pools are most frequently mentioned in for-sale listings in Stamford, Connecticut and Las Vegas.
What Experts Say:
Los Angeles-based Sally Forster Jones with Compass declared, “Anyone at the higher end of the market sees this as a new requirement, and if there isn’t a cold plunge, they are having one installed.”
“In recent years people seem to have the attitude that they will definitely get their money back (or perhaps more) with a tastefully designed pool,” Gardner observed. He does point out that cold plunge pools aren’t being driven by the same whole household impulses as other recreational features. “It tends to be just one family member who has embraced the therapy and wants to enjoy it at home as opposed to having to go to the gym or spa.”
Pickleball Courts
Pickleball courts are in high demand as the sport rises in popularity.
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What Zillow reported:
“This fast-paced paddle sport is becoming a sought-after amenity in backyards and neighborhoods. Nationwide, pickleball mentions are up 64% compared to last year.”
“Pickleball is accessible and appealing to all ages,” Pendleton observed, noting that it offers both fitness and social interaction benefits. “With the sport’s rising popularity, a dedicated at-home or nearby neighborhood pickleball court has become a selling point for many homebuyers.”
Mentions of pickleball courts are most common in for-sale listings in Sarasota and Provo, Utah.
What Experts Say:
“As the wellness movement continues to build momentum, buyer expectations are becoming more sophisticated,” shared New York City-based real estate agent Taylor Middleton of Douglas Elliman. She serves that metro, the Hamptons, and South Florida. “My clients — in particular my international and California buyers — are prioritizing contemporary options.” She sees pickleball courts (and plunge pools) likely having the most enduring appeal and value enhancement among the four Zillow wellness trends. Ultimately, Middleton surmised, “The main resale appeal is that in time, these amenities will become buyer expectations.”
“Pickleball has definitely been a family recreation conversation,” Gardner reported, citing its physical and social benefits, as well as the fact that it takes less space than tennis. “We have clients hosting parties at home based around pickleball tournaments with groups of friends. In several cases it’s being used as a destination activity to draw friends and family over to spend time.”
It’s worth noting that the noise and lights of pickleball courts can be a negative factor for some properties and communities.
Murals
The quality of this mural work enhanced the value of a spec home with its eventual buyer.
Architect: Court Atkins Group / Interior Designer: Deb Van Plew / Photographer: Josh Gibson
What Zillow reported:
“Homeowners and home buyers are saying goodbye to bland in favor of personality-packed homes. Murals are showing up 18% more often in for-sale homes and they’re more accessible than ever. Wallpaper murals are now readily available and depict all types of scenes, from large-scale landscapes to modern botanicals.”
Pendleton commented that “Personalization is a growing trend in interiors as homeowners increasingly want their homes reflect who they are and how they live. Murals make a visual statement, create ambiance and can be an instant conversation starter.”
Murals are most commonly found in for-sale listings in McAllen, Texas and Tucson.
What Experts Say:
“When done properly, and pending the home’s target homebuyer, a mural can certainly add to a home’s appeal. Especially for a younger homebuyer,” stated Orange County, California Compass agent Todd Davis.
Architect William Court practicing in Savannah and Bluffton, South Carolina shared that, “We have used custom murals and wall coverings on a number of homes. Each one tends to present a unique point of view and is often highly personal to our clients. It is an impact statement, so it takes a certain sense of commitment on their behalf.” He does not anticipate that these design statements will benefit the home’s real estate value. “Resale did not come into the conversation, but the sense of quality and finish were certainly discussed,” he noted. He did relate that one of the projects unexpectedly became a spec house and the new owner was attracted to the hand painted panels in the study.
