Top Street Art In Philadelphia
This 2014 mural by Benjamin Volta was spearheaded by the city of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, which was established in 1984 as part of an anti-graffiti campaign. Located on the western wall of the Union Transfer music building at 11th and Spring Garden Street, Amplify is a large gramophone mural adorned with embedded designs. It is an absolute showpiece in one of the buzziest parts of the city.
Completed in 2010, Philadelphia artist Steve Powers' massive "A Love Letter For You" project has received international attention. Designed as a series of 50 rooftop murals from 45th to 63rd streets along the Market Street corridor, the theme of the former graffiti writer's epic creation is "a letter for one, with meaning for all." The mural series spans many blocks, so it is best viewed in its entirety from the Market/Frankford El.
Iconic pop artist Keith Haring never forgot his Philly roots, even after moving to New York in the mid '80s. While he was known for hanging with A-list pals like Madonna and Andy Warhol, the Reading native returned to Philly in 1987 to create the epic mural "We the Youth." Haring's City Kids Foundation collaborated with the Brandywine Workshop to produce the widely recognized mural on the side of a house at 22nd and Ellsworth in Point Breeze. Haring outlined pop art dancing figures with thick black lines and the kids helped paint them in with bold colors.
A more recent work is the installation of an epic wheat paste by internationally known street artist JR. The French artist's works merge photography with street art. The local piece "Migrants, Ibrahim, Mingora-Philadelphia" depicts an image of Philadelphia resident Ibrahim Shah, a young food truck worker who emigrated from Pakistan, and it spans nearly 20 stories on the side of the Graham Building in Center City. JR's masterpiece is best viewed from the corner of 16th and Chestnut streets.
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Since 1968, the glittery mosaics of Philadelphia legend Isaiah Zagar have been found all over South Street, most notably the epic three-dimensional Magic Gardens, which is so huge it was made into a gallery space. But one of Zagar's most famous works was created when he added a mosaic to the entire outside of the Painted Bride Art Center on Vine Street between N. 2nd and N. 3rd Streets. The masterpiece, entitled "Skin of the Bride," took nearly a decade to complete and was later donated to the center. Today, the entire city gets to enjoy it.
