Artists & Artworks
Jane Golden and the Philadelphia Mural Arts
Program (began 1984) Common Threads
The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program began in 1984.
With muralist Jane Golden at its head, it was established
as part of an effort to eliminate graffiti in the city and
help graffiti artists focus their energy on the creation of
beautiful murals. Golden recognized the creative potential of the young artists and, over the years, has helped
thousands of young people contribute beauty to and
express pride in belonging to their community. Many
years and more than 3,000 murals later, Philadelphia has
earned international recognition as the “City of Murals.”
Common Threads, by mural artist Meg Saligman,
sends the message that, like fashion throughout history, people are linked around the world and over time
by their similarities. Like Peace Wall, which sends a
message of hope in a neighborhood that has seen years
of racial tension, neighborhood murals throughout the
city remind residents of their heritage, their identity, and
what it means to belong to a community.
Isaiah Zagar (b. 1939)
Kindness Corridor
Isaiah Zagar has been creating colorful and reflective
mosaic walls throughout the city of Philadelphia for
more than forty years. Broken mirrors, cracked pottery,
tiles, found objects, and even bicycle wheels inlaid in
colorful grout form patterns and swirls that hug neighborhood walls and fences. Zagar has created 130 murals,
mostly working alone, but he periodically offers workshops and invites others to join
him in creating a new mural. He
is a beloved icon in the city—a
source of pride for the community
in which he lives and works. When
a landowner decided to sell the
once-vacant lots where Zagar had
constructed his shimmering walls,
tunnels, paths, and grottos, the
community helped him purchase
the land. This was the beginning of Philadelphia’s Magic
Gardens, a place where Zagar’s wonderful constructions
are preserved and made available to the public.
James Burns, Common Ground: Global Heritage, 2007. © 2007 City of Philadelphia Mural Arts
Program/James Burns. Photo © JackRamsdale.com
to helping in the office, assisting with art classes, writ-
ing grants, or leading tours of the more than 450 murals
within the neighborhood. The Precita Eyes Muralists
have been involved in mural projects in other areas of
their city, as well as in China,
Russia, Germany, Spain, and
Brazil.
“Art heals, art unites, and art
changes minds in convincing
fashion. Art drives the agenda.
Great art is never silent, can’t
be ignored, and serves poorly
the status quo.”
Michael Townsend
Zombie Proof
Michael Townsend draws with
colored tape—painter’s tape,
to be specific. Originator of
so-called “tape art,” the artist has
collaborated in the creation of tape drawings on façades
of buildings, on sidewalks, and on walls. Townsend’s
temporary drawings have been created in all kinds of
places including hospitals, schools, community centers,
museums, shopping malls, and prisons. When asked,
“Why tape?” Townsend explains that it is easy to correct
mistakes. It also allows him to work with other people
and engage in large-scale projects. The drawings can
take from twenty-four hours to a few weeks to complete
and are removed within one day of their completion. In
some cases, taking the tape mural down is as much a
part of the total experience as putting it up. Tape art is
public art, but it doesn’t have the permanence that we
expect with most public art. Townsend’s temporary tape
drawings prompt us to consider interesting questions
about our experiences with art and the impact such
artworks can have on a community.
—Mural Arts Core Value
The Precita Eyes Mural Arts Association
Hope, Strength, Love and Faith
The Precita Eyes Mural Arts Association, located in San
Francisco’s Mission District, has brought art into the
daily lives of people since its beginning in 1977. Susan
Cervantes and her late husband, Luis Cervantes, founded
the organization. From the beginning, they believed
that the murals need to be meaningful to those living
and working in the neighborhood, and that they enable
the people “to reflect their particular concerns, joys,
and triumphs.” Deeply committed to collaboration, the
organization is essentially run by volunteer artists, who
participate in everything from pouring paint into jars
