Mural Arts continues 40th anniversary celebration with events, dedications and more

Mural Arts Philadelphia continues its 40th-anniversary festivities with a jam-packed month of August full of events, dedications, and more.

First Friday Tacony LAB in August

Kicking off the month, the Mural Arts Tacony LAB Community Art Center will host a special First Friday event where it will announce its next resident artist for 2024. The event will include an opportunity for those in attendance to meet the newest resident artists and will feature an exhibition of their work. All this will be in addition to the usual First Friday fun, including refreshments, entertainment, and creative projects for attendees to make and then take home with them. Guests are asked to RSVP to this event.

6918 Torresdale Ave., RSVP here.

Artist Appreciation Party

Also on Friday, Mural Arts will host an appreciation party from 6 to 10 p.m. for the 200-plus artists they employ annually at Craft Hall. These artists work to create the stunning assortment of murals seen across the City of Philadelphia. This special reception features a night of food, drinks, music, games, and more, giving Mural Art and the public an opportunity to thank the artists for their hard work and dedication to spreading beautiful art across Philadelphia. Guests are asked to RSVP to this event.

901 North Delaware Ave., RSVP here.

Sharswood Roving Art Hub

On Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 3 to 5 p.m., Mural Arts Philadelphia will host Sharswood community members at Webb Plaza for an opportunity to share their creative skills and talents with others. From knitting to pie making to birdhouse building and much more, Mural Arts is bringing together those in the Sharswood community with friends and neighbors, as well as youth and elders in the neighborhood. An opportunity to create together and learn from one another for all in the community, this event looks to spark creativity in the neighborhood, acting as the first step in envisioning a series of future public artworks in the neighborhood.

2077 Ridge Ave.

Heatwave: Mural Arts Staff  Exhibition

On Aug. 8, Mural Arts is hosting an exhibition at the AtelierFAS Gallery sharing the personal art practices of members of their full-time staff. In an opening reception titled ‘Heatwave,’ those in attendance can enjoy works by 23 artists, which spans a range of different mediums from painting, drawing, sculpture, film, photography, music, and more. The opening kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 8, from 5 to 8 p.m., and the exhibition will run from Aug. 10 to 24, with open visitation on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment. The work featured demonstrates the passionate commitment to creative expression instilled in these artists and highlights their dedication to spreading art across the streets of Philadelphia.

1301 N 31st St. Suite 2,

The Stories of Olney Mural Dedication

Mural Arts is set to dedicate a new mural titled ‘ The Stories of Olney’ by artist Winnie Sidharta Ambron on Wednesday, Aug. 14, as part of a series celebrating the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The mural depicts the North Philadelphia neighborhood’s diversity, generosity, and joyfulness and will feature Afro-Caribbean quilts, Korean Bojagi, and Khmer, Thai, and Vietnamese woven textiles. ‘The Stories of Olney’ encompasses the importance of culture, including festivals, food, music, and more, and the dedication is set for 11 a.m. and will run through 12:30 p.m.

This mural is the third in a five-part mural series celebrating Philadelphia’s AAPI communities, joining Hardena Restaurant and Vietnam Restaurant, located in Chinatown.

5957 N. 5th St.

MLK Freedom Now Mural Paint Day & Fundraiser

Finally, Mural Arts will host a Paint Day and Fundraiser on Friday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., in which they will restore the iconic “MLK at Lancaster” mural in partnership with Full Court Development. The mural, originally painted by artist Cliff Eubanks, will be restored with the assistance of Kien Nguyen and Efrain Herrera. Located at 40th and Lancaster Avenues, the mural commemorates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1965 speech, which took place in West Philadelphia. Dr. King drew a crowd of roughly 10,000 Philadelphians as he passionately spoke about the eager need for freedom in Philadelphia.

The event will begin with a clean-up effort, which is open to volunteers. That will be followed by a community paint day to dedicate MLK’s iconic 1965 “Freedom Now” speech to its permanent home, 3952 Lancaster Ave. To wrap up the exciting day, those in attendance will enjoy refreshments at Two Locals Brewing, located in West Philly. Community members, small business owners, artists, and entrepreneurs are all invited to participate in a full day of activities.

3952 Lancaster Ave.

Mural Arts Summer Tours

Mural Arts’ ‘Mural Tours’ are also continuing through the summer. In celebration of Mural Arts Philadelphia’s 40th anniversary, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in a walking tour throughout various neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia, taking in the timeless works spread across the city. Works of art from Mural Arts’ early days until now will be featured, and tours will be led by professionally trained guards who will also include stories of the people and communities behind each mural.

Different routes will be taken on rotation each weekend, and Mural Arts’ summer walking tours will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Additional tours will take place on Tuesdays at 10 a.m., and all tours will run through August.

For more information on the latest with Mural Arts, visit muralarts.org.