PHILADELPHIA – July 13, 2021 – Mural Arts Philadelphia, the nation’s premier public art program dedicated to social change through participatory art, has partnered with South of South Neighborhood (SOSNA) for new murals meant to improve the safety of four intersections at two public elementary schools, Edwin Stanton and Chester Arthur.
A mural design unveiling event will take place on Friday, July 16 at 1:30 pm at Julian Abele Park, located at 22nd Street between Montrose and Carpenter Streets in Philadelphia, PA.
The design process included community and school engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic which allowed neighbors and students to participate in the creation of the mural ideas. The design, by artist Calo Rosa, involves curb “bulb-outs”, highly visible painted pedestrian areas, and vertical delineators to protect the crosswalk areas at four key intersections. This will protect children crossing the street by making them more visible to oncoming traffic, reduce crossing distance, and slow drivers at intersections, making it safer to cross the street. A street mural in each of these protected pedestrian areas will help draw greater awareness to pedestrians and contribute to neighborhood place-making. This crosswalk treatment and street mural will improve the safety for all modes of travel and for people of all sizes. Through the inclusive creative and educational process, the community will be more aware of the importance of traffic safety.
"It's so wonderful to see the vision of the community, our neighborhood schools, the artist Calo Rosa, and the SOSNA Vision Zero Committee come to fruition,” said Daniel McGlone, SOSNA Board Member and Vision Zero Committee Chair. “We are committed to making our streets safe. SOSNA is thankful for the support of Mural Arts in this Safe Pathways to Schools Project in beautifying the streets in our community. Once complete, it will be safer for children and families to cross the street and create a greater sense of place in our neighborhood."
“We are so thrilled that we can use art to help foster a safer and more aesthetically pleasing pedestrian environment by creating safe pathways to schools,” said Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. “Through innovation and creativity, we are raising city-wide awareness of the importance of traffic safety that will help save lives. We hope this project will inspire more artwork at intersections throughout the City of Philadelphia!
The South of South Neighborhood Association (SOSNA) is a community-based organization dedicated to serving and supporting the residents of the neighborhood bounded by South Street, Broad Street, Washington Avenue, and the Schuylkill River. The organization was founded in 1989 and serves over 10,000 households. SOSNA’s activities throughout the neighborhood are targeted at improving the quality of life for existing residents, supporting neighborhood businesses, and attracting both new residents and business owners to invest in the area. For more information, call 215 732 8446 or visit southofsouth.org. Follow us on social media: @southofsouthphl on Instagram and Facebook.
The SOSNA Vision Zero Committee has been working for several years on projects to improve pedestrian safety, walkability, bikeability, and quality of life issues in our neighborhood. In 2009, the committee developed an overarching neighborhood walkability plan in conjunction with the City of Philadelphia’s Planning Department and outside consultants. Over the years, members have worked on several projects to implement the plan’s recommendations including a few Safe Routes to School projects, lighting initiatives, as well as a Better Blocks Philly project, which temporarily redesigned several streets in the neighborhood with traffic-calming measures. For more information, see https://www.southofsouth.org/school-crosswalks
Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For over 30 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative and equitable process, creating over 4,000 artworks that have transformed public spaces and individual lives. Mural Arts aims to empower people, stimulate dialogue, and build bridges to understanding with projects that attract artists from Philadelphia and around the world, and programs that focus on youth education, restorative justice, mental health and wellness, and public art and its preservation. Popular mural tours offer a firsthand glimpse into the inspiring stories behind Mural Arts' iconic and unparalleled collection, which has earned Philadelphia worldwide recognition as the "City of Murals." For more information, call 215-685-0750 or visit muralarts.org. Follow us on social media: @muralarts on Twitter and Instagram, MuralArtsPhiladelphia on Facebook, and phillymuralarts on YouTube.
For more information, please contact Nicole Koedyker at nicoleatsosna@gmail.com.