Over 40 years ago, Philadelphia Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. tapped artist and organizer Jane Golden to helm a new city initiative to curb vandalism. Since then, the organization evolved into Mural Arts Philadelphia and has completed over 4,000 murals across the city, earning Philly the title of the “Mural Capital of the World.”
Last August, Golden announced she would step down from her role after the semiquincentennial celebrations. As her time comes to a close, we spoke with her about her legacy, as well as what the future holds for her, Mural Arts, and the arts in the city. Here’s a preview of that conversation.
What was the first mural?
“ It was the Spring Garden [Street] Bridge … It's really long. It's like six feet tall and probably each side is like hundreds of feet long. It connects the art museum area to Mantua and Powelton, and it was covered with graffiti. There wasn't a spot on it.
“ When I was hired, it wasn't yet a full-time job. And Wilson Goode said to me, ‘If you can paint that bridge with the kids in Mantua in three weeks … you will have a full-time job, no questions asked.
“ We cleaned it up , but then we decided with the kids, they wanted [the theme to be] life in the city … so it was a lot of young people doing things. And they were working so fast that the other artists, we could barely keep up with them. We painted at night. We had flashlights. We painted on the weekend.
“ There was this big dedication at the end. And Wilson Goode looked at me, he goes, ‘You did it. Under three weeks … you have the job.’
“I'm in touch with some of those young people still as adults. I know their kids. It was such a bonding experience.”
What is that work that you're doing? How would you define that?
“ We're a program that embraces nuance. People have asked me for years, 'cause we have all these different departments. ‘Are you a public safety organization? Is it education? Is it social services? Is it art? You know, what is it?’ And I would say it's all those things with art at the center. And I think it's okay to be that way.”
What have murals done for connections that we have as Philadelphians with our city government?
“ It's important to tap into the collective imagination of Philadelphians and then be able to create these large-scale works of public art that reflect our lives. And at a time when people, the world, seems frayed and divided, what art can do is shine a light on our distinctions … and underscore our commonality and humanity.
“That's what art can do, and that all can create a deeper belief in the city and that city government can be effective and creative. And that's wonderful. It's affirming.”
