As it stands today, Philadelphia has the most public murals in America, but what we don't have is the largest public mural. No, the largest public mural in Amaerica lives in Omaha, Nebraska. Omaha – of all places!
And what a better place for the nation's largest public mural than on the back of the PSFS Building. Right in the middle of our skyline, and currently a 30+ story black brick wall, the back of the PSFS Building is the ideal canvas for such a project!
To the people concerned about the fact that the building is a registered historical landmark, my reply to is simple: there’s nothing we could do, or would do, that would ever harm this building. Period. It wouldn’t be allowed, for one, but also, that’s not what I’m suggesting. Whether we could paint directly on the brick, or whether we’d have to attach parachute cloth to paint over. Whether the mural should be more temporary and last only 2 or 3 years, or whether it should be more permanent. If we want this to happen, there is a way. I think it’s important to keep in mind that the PSFS Building has been celebrated for its innovative spirit from the day it was built. Celebrated for the fact that the people who built it all those years ago were looking forward. And that’s all I’m suggesting we do today.
Our city is really good at commemorating our past… I say we start celebrating our now. We have amazing artists in this city right now. Let’s celebrate them. We have an amazing arts culture in this city right now. Let’s celebrate it… Let’s celebrate, period!
I think painting the largest mural in America, right here, in the middle of our skyline would be such a powerful statement for the arts in this city. And the best part? What other city could ever compete with that? What other city has a 30+ story brick wall to paint a mural on? It’s such a great opportunity for our city to do something dynamic, something innovative, and something no other city could ever do.
If you look at the comments below, you’ll see that I’m not the only one who feels this way. While there’s plenty of time for discussion and compromise on many of the details of this project, I do think that this is the building, this is the city, and this is the time… We can do this Philadelphia!
Sign today and share with your friends. We can do this!
Extra Reading:
What Artist(s) Would You Like to See Paint America’s Largest Mural on the Back of the PSFS Building?
http://streetsdept.com/2012/10/09/what-artists-would-you-like-to-see-paint-americas-largest-mural-on-the-back-of-the-psfs-building/
