More Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell

By Jane Golden

Book Overview

More than twenty years ago, a New Jersey artist started a project for the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network that encouraged young people to paint murals on a few buildings around the city. Jane Golden could not have known that the Mural Arts Program (MAP) would become the nation's largest public art program and a model for programs throughout the country. With more than 2600 murals throughout Philadelphia, the program has brightened the lives of countless residents and tourists while providing a creative outlet for an astounding array of artists. MAP now works with more than 3000 students around the city, engaging them in a curriculum that teaches not only artistic skills but civic engagement and personal responsibility. In this sequel to the bestselling Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell, published in 2002, More Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell shares with the earlier work its beautiful color photography, along with profiles of the artists. between boys who live in a residential facility, a community in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, and men who are incarcerated in a maximum-security state correctional facility. The 1/8 of a mile long mural they created, about balanced and restorative justice, was intended to help the young men give something back to a community they had harmed and help the community wrestle with issues around crime and violence. In the process of creating the mural, it became a life-changing experience for all involved. By recounting this story and the many others behind the works of art, More Philadelphia Murals and the Stories They Tell is as inspirational as it is beautiful.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592135277
• ISBN13: 9781592135271
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Temple University Press
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 2.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 9.4" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

Awesome murals and the stories behind them

Excellent photos of the murals. Stories behind the murals are fascinating. Includes how the mural program was started in Philly. Stories about the artists. Great stories about the neighborhood and their input and about how the mural was designed, created, why it was placed where it is. Well balanced. Very well told. A delight for any person who appreciates art, murals, and their history.

Absolutely Incredible!!!

And I do mean incredible!!! I am so happy I live in Philadelphia - just because it is the home to the spectacular murals featured in this beautiful book!!! The best part about this book is that it brings the murals right into your home - so you can enjoy each one (and its story) at your leisure!!! Just look at the cover - that mural alone is worth the price of the book - what a statement - talk about 'brotherly love'!!!

If you...

Love Philadelphia and Love the idea of murals, DEFINATELY pick up this book. From whimsical murals to political murals to very modular murals, this book is filled with a bit of the cultural flavor that can be found in the City of Brotherly Love.

A Coffee Table Book that Reads like a Novel

This beautiful book tells the story of the wonderful murals that you see all over Philadelphia. It is more than just a pretty book,however, because it is also the story of Jane Golden and how the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network started and how it has grown over the years. The pictures are photographed with amazing accuracy, and the authors have maintained a professional attitude while making the reader feel compelled to continue reading. The book makes you want to see in person all the wondrous walls that Jane Golden and her muralists have created. A great gift and an even greater find.

Wow! I didn't know Philadelphia had so many murals!

What a surprise I had in learning that Philadelphia, a city I've lived in for over ten years, has over 2,000 murals. And,in this book, they are beautifully displayed (well, not all 2000) and discussed. I learned about the artists who created the murals, the communities where the murals are, and just lots of interesting details about the mural arts program in Philadelphia--the most prolific in the country. And, I can't say enough about how spectacularly beautiful the photographs are. If you're ever in Philadelphia, you must buy this book and take a stroll through some of the neighborhoods that house the murals. There's even a map.