Charles & Camilla to visit Philadelphia arts program
The Mural Arts Program is pleased to announce that The Prince of Wales and his wife, The Duchess of Cornwall, will be attending a private event held in their honour on Saturday, January 27, as part of a royal visit to Philadelphia. Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, are interested in issues surrounding urban regeneration and neighborhood transformation, which are core issues to the country’s largest mural program. The Mural Arts Program has created over 2,700 murals, earning international recognition for Philadelphia as the world’s “City of Murals” and cities from around the world have expressed interest in replicating the program and its success.
The invitation-only event will take place on Saturday, January 27, with mural artists and community members who have been key partners in some of the Mural Arts Program’s most successful efforts. In the Mantua section of Philadelphia, where the Mural Arts Program initially began its work as the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, Their Royal Highnesses will view several of the colourful murals that grace the neighbourhood and then arrive at Heavenly Hall Full Gospel Church for a small gathering and reception.
At Heavenly Hall, Their Royal Highnesses will observe the painting of murals-in-progress and then greet artists and community members who have used the transformative power of mural-making to enhance and revitalize neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia over the past twenty years.
The Mural Arts Program (MAP) is one of the nation’s largest public arts initiatives and the only public-private partnership using mural-making for community rejuvenation, youth engagement, behaviour modification, and crime prevention. To date, MAP has educated more than 20,000 under-served and at-risk youth.
Since 1984, MAP has facilitated the creation of more than 2,700 murals throughout the City of Philadelphia that incorporate a variety of art forms and materials, including: mosaic, metalwork, photography, and stained glass. The organization’s grassroots approach to mural-making involves block captains, neighbourhood associations, public schools, community development organizations, and several city agencies in the struggle against blight and economic under-development.
The Mural Arts Program serves as a catalyst for change in every neighbourhood of Philadelphia, engaging over 100 communities each year in the transformation of neighbourhoods through the mural-making process. The program is a beacon for the city – a driving force for renaissance in urban neighbourhoods, addressing some of the most serious issues in our communities. MAP’s award-winning, free art education programs annually serve over 3,000 youth at sites throughout the city and at-risk teens through education outreach programs. MAP believes strongly in the transformative power of mural-making, and communities from every section of Philadelphia have benefited from the access to art in their lives.
For further information, visit muralarts.org.
