Did you know that Philadelphia is the mural capital of the United States? With somewhere close to 3,000 around the city and more going up everyday, we have more murals in Philly than any other city in the US.
Welcome to Happy Hour Mural Tours! In this new series of tippling weeknight tours, I'll be guiding you on one-hour walks through some of Philadelphia's most concentrated and vibrant mural districts – each ending just in time for a drink!
ABOUT THIS TOUR: The Gayborhood is by-far one of Philadelphia's most concentrated areas for murals featuring the work of both local and internationally acclaimed artists and muralists. The centerpiece of which is a stretch of murals along 13th street, the brainchild of late real estate developer and arts advocate Tony Goldman (who also created Miami's Wynwood Walls mural district) in collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia. Our tour will start at the southern edge of The Gayborhood at Bainbridge and Broad streets and spend an hour zigzagging through this eclectic mural district. We'll learn about how the murals came to be, who created them, and we'll even meet one of the muralists along the way! The tour will end at a new Streets Dept-curated exhibition at Mission Taqueria (on Sansom street between 15th and 16th streets,) where you can see the work of artist Calo Rosa, get a drink (or two!), and chat with me and your fellow mural enthusiasts.
ABOUT YOUR GUIDE: My name's Conrad Benner, and I'm a Philly-born photographer, curator, and the founder of StreetsDept.com, an award winning photo-blog that's been discovering art on streets of Philadelphia since 2011. Over the years, I have been named Philly's ‘Best Art Curator’ by Philadelphia Magazine, and my blog named one of the ‘Best Blogs for Travellers’ by The Guardian. I have a passion for art in the public space and the role it plays in our hearts and minds; in fact, you can read my blog's full purpose statement here.
Hope you'll join us!
Mural in the featured photo by Michelle Angela Ortiz featuring the late activist and Philadelphia's first Director of LGBT Affairs Gloria Casarez.