North Philadelphia Behavioral Center Gets Mural Makeover
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A behavioral health center in North Philadelphia has a new look, thanks to a new initiative by the Mural Arts Program.
The Mural Arts Program's "Porchlight Initiative" looks to remove the stigma from behavioral health issues by, among other things, making service centers brighter and more attractive.
"When they go into a clinic it's a depressing atmosphere," says Mural Arts director Jane Golden. "They don't feel connected in any way. And what we're trying to do is use art as a way to bring people in."
Now, bright murals and plants cover the walls inside and outside of the Behavioral Health Center operated by APM, Associacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha ("Association of Puerto Ricans on the March").
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As part of the initiative, a number of clients helped with the painting.
"It changed me a lot because I did some painting on my own at home, and that changed me a lot," said one 20-year-old from North Philadelphia.
Reported by Karin Phillips, KYW Newsradio 1060
