While many art enthusiasts locally and nationwide are familiar with Mural Arts Philadelphia, not too many are privy to how a portrait of a Philadelphia 76ers legend helped launch it, writes Matt Breen for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
During the spring of 1989, Mural Arts founder and executive director Jane Golden, alongside her team, wanted to paint a mural of Julius Erving.
At the time, the program was called the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network and the young artists were mostly comprised of former graffiti taggers.
During a quick meeting with Dr. J, Golden asked if it would be okay to paint a mural of him, to which the basketball legend obliged.
That summer, the mural was finished, located on a four-story-tall building on Ridge Avenue.
“As we were putting it up, people were literally screeching to a halt, going, ‘It’s the Doc,’” Golden said. “People were coming up to us and giving us food and saying thanks. The neighbors were cheering. It was amazing.”
The positive reactions from that mural became a catalyst for what later become Mural Arts Philadelphia.
Fast forward to today and Mural Arts Philadelphia is a powerhouse that has become responsible for turning the city into the “Mural Capital of the World.”
Read more about how a chance mural led to the eventual birth of Mural Arts Philadelphia at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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