On a sunny summer morning in South Philadelphia, I spot a motley group paused outside a soaring wall washed in bright blues and golds. A group of young people look skyward as golden lines weave quietly between them. “This mural is called Common Threads,” their guide tells them. “It’s not just art; it’s a reminder we’re all connected, even if our stories are different.”
I soon realise that the idea lies at the heart of Philadelphia’s public art revolution. With more than 4,000 murals, the city now boasts the largest outdoor mural programme in the world, an open-air gallery that belongs not to museums or curators, but to the streets, alleys and neighbourhoods that created it.
Amazingly, it all began in the 1980s as an anti-graffiti initiative. In a bid to deter vandalism, city officials offered young graffiti artists opportunities to paint legally. But the programme quickly evolved. Renamed Mural Arts Philadelphia, it became a platform for residents’ voices.
“We always say the paint is just the medium,” says our mural tour guide. “The real artwork is the conversation that happens before the wall goes up.”
I can see that conversation everywhere. In West Philadelphia, We the Youth, created with Keith Haring in 1987, celebrates young voices and remains one of the city’s earliest and most beloved murals. Philly Rising, a virtual mural by Nilé Livingston, uses thousands of images as parts of a puzzle to create a collective piece that represents the resilient spirit of the city. On South Broad Street, The Theatre of Life is a striking multimedia work. When it debuted in 2001, this mural, made from over 10,000 pieces of glass, a ton of concrete, 5,000 marbles, and 400 gallons of paint, was the programme’s most ambitious and costly project. The mural reflects on control—asking which roles we choose, and which are imposed upon us, in the daily theatre of life.
Some murals are interactive. The Atlas of Tomorrow works like a giant mandala: spin the wheel, land on a story, reflect on your place in the world. “It’s art that asks you a question; it’s very Philly,” the guide says.
The city’s mural tours – operated by Mural Arts Philadelphia – are the best way to explore this living archive. The Mural Mile tour takes you from hidden works in quiet corners to monumental additions that define the skyline, such as Untitled by Amy Sherald or Water Gives Life by Philadelphia artists Euhri Jones and David McShane. The Center City West walk threads together old and new, from Momo’s 12-story Untitled on Market Street to David McShane’s beloved Phillies Mural by the Schuylkill River trail.
The South Philadelphia Mural Tour explores landmark works such as Common Threads and Legacy, focused on the work of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass to end slavery. On South Street, the city’s counter-cultural heart, the colourful Peace Wall spans an entire block, mixing poetry and portraits in a powerful message of coexistence.
Not every mural bursts with exuberance. Healing Walls: Inmate’s Journey, created by Cesar Viveros and Parris Stancell in collaboration with inmate-artists from Graterford prison, crime victims, and advocates, captures the parallel struggles of victims and offenders as they grapple with the impact of crime and seek transformation. Similarly, the Finding Home project gives a voice to Philadelphia’s homeless community, raising awareness of life on the margins.
Jane Golden, Founder, Mural Arts, has stated earlier that Philly's public art is different because it resonates with, speaks to, is about the people who live here. “It is truly the autobiography of the city of Philadelphia. No matter where you are, you will see a work of art that tells you the story of that particular community or city hero. [It's] public art that's connected to the city,” she states
Many cities now commission murals, but Philadelphia’s model remains unique for the level of neighbourhood participation. Residents attend workshops, propose ideas and even debate designs before anything gets painted. “That’s what makes it public art in the real sense,” the guide tells us. “It’s made with the public, not just for it.”
Other cities, including Belfast, Bogotá and London, have since studied the model, but in Philadelphia the process remains deeply personal and local. Visitors might see colour, but locals see memory.
Philadelphia’s murals offer something more than photo backdrops or colourful distractions. With ordinary brick walls transformed into canvases for stories of struggle, hope, and possibility, they offer a window into the city’s soul.