October is Mural Arts Month in Philly

Mural Arts Director Jane Golden will helprededicate “Tree of Knowledge” at 13th and Market on Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. Go to www.muralarts.org for the full Mural Arts Month lineup.
Credit: J. Ramsdale

Wednesday kicks off Mural Arts Month, a celebration of the more than 3,500 murals adorning buildings throughout Philly. Whether you want to see every wall in the city painted or, like some critics, you think enough with the murals already, here are four free Mural Arts events that will put a little civic knowledge in your brain — and maybe get your hands dirty. Go to www.muralarts.org for the full Mural Arts Month lineup.

‘The border isan invitation’
Oct. 2, 6 to 8 p.m.
Thomas Eakins House
1727-29 Mount Vernon St.
This photo exhibit reception centers on three artists: First there’s photojournalist Martha Cooper’s images of graffiti. And then Steve Weinik chronicles Katharina Grosse’s “psychylustro,” a series of paintings installed along the rail corridor between 30th Street Station and North Philadelphia Station — the same graffiti-covered corridor Cooper once photographed.

Paint Day
Oct. 5, 2 to 4 p.m.
lle lfe Park at the Village of Arts and Humanities
2544 Germantown Ave.
Pitch in to restore the “Ile Ife” mural, originally painted in 1986 by Lily Yeh, co-founder of North Philly’s Village of Arts and Humanities. Stay after the painting for a community cookout — especially because the weather is still mild, and we can do that type of thing without getting snowed on.

Philly DJ Mural Block Party
Oct. 17, 6-8 p.m.
13th and Chestnut streets
This one isn’t even really about murals, but who in Philly doesn’t love a block party with food, drinks and local DJs?

Oktoberfest at Dilworth Park
Oct. 18 and 25, noon to 6 p.m.
Head to the newly unveiled Dilworth Park on the west side of City Hall for a fall fest with activities for the kids, art installations, vendors, a beer garden for the grown-ups and live music. Norwegian Arms, Drgn King and Dave P. provide the soundtrack Oct. 18; DJ Statik and Matthew Law of The Illvibe Collective and Son Little play the following Saturday.