Every year, over 12,000 visitors tour Philadelphia’s Mural Arts’ gallery, which stretches across neighborhoods all over Philadelphia. From Far Northeast, to Roxborough, to South Philadelphia, Mural Arts has created works in diverse communities. Every year, this program spearheads up to 100 projects, a clear indicator that it is the nation’s largest public arts initiative.
“We believe that art ignites change.” Mural Arts Philadelphia
Steven Powers, a graffiti artist who is now based in NYC, created and completed A Love Letter for You almost eight years ago, a collection of 50 murals spanning from 45th to 63rd Streets all sharing a simple, singular message: Love. Love Letter includes heartfelt thoughts combined with feelings of homesickness juxtaposed against the brick buildings of West Philly. Through a few simple words, Powers creates compelling statements that all can relate to. While these murals can be best viewed by riding the Market/Frankford SEPTA line, Powers stated that his intended purpose of theses murals were to make art in a neighborhood where its residents could deeply care about them.
Love Letter creates a level of simple intimacy that is ultimately powerful. While heartbreak, longing, and loneliness are at the forefront of Love Letter, bright, vibrant colors, large letters, and clean lines in sync with the rest of the West Philly landscape creates a sense of empowerment and hope.
Known as the “City of Murals,” Philadelphia has embraced and cherished the lasting impact that Mural Arts has added to the community. The works are ingrained into the sides of buildings and walls, becoming one with the urban city life and a source of innovation and creativity that will last lifetimes.
