All Join Hands: The Visions of Peace Project at Benjamin Franklin High School on Broad & Spring Garden. Muralist: Donald Gensler

On September 22, 2005 the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (MAP) in conjunction with the School District of Philadelphia, the Department of Human Services, and the Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board, facilitated a Town Hall Meeting at Ben Franklin High School to launch All Join Hands: The Visions of Peace Project. This was created to raise awareness about the prevalence of youth violence in Philadelphia, to investigate causes of violent behavior, and to talk about solutions to these problems using art as a medium for discussion.

The broad goal of All Join Hands was to bring together groups of stakeholders whose paths might never cross to sit at the same table and conduct serious discussions about complex issues, foster new relationships within the city and state, and provide a forum for cultivating new strategies in Philadelphia's efforts to curb youth violence. The culmination of the project was a large scale mural on the exterior wall of Benjamin Franklin High School at Broad and Spring Garden in October, 2006.

To facilitate this project MAP hosted a series of workshops for people of all ages throughout the fall. These public workshops offered to the Philadelphia community were conducted with artists and promoted expression in the contexts of theatre, visual arts, writing, and poetry.

Donald Gensler, the muralist behind the project, worked with young people to ensure that a wide array of young voices were heard. From these sessions Gensler drew ideas and artwork from students in MAP's ArtWorks! Program, an art education program that serves at-risk and chronically truant youth. Gensler has also been working with youth from a new program initiated by the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services, called E3 Power, a program for young people coming out of detention and long-term placement. E3 Power centers throughout Philadelphia provide opportunities for young people to get their high school diploma, meet with social workers, obtain job skills, and take part in a variety of programs that assist them in re-joining society as productive citizens. Finally, Gensler collaborated with students from Benjamin Franklin High School as part of MAP's initiative working with the School District of Philadelphia.

Throughout the year, MAP invited Philadelphia residents to help paint the mural at community paint days and were astounded by the number of people who came out to help.

Images from community paint day:

In addition to the mural, Lead artist Donald Gensler curated an exhibit at F.U.E.L. highlighting selected work from this yearlong project which included artwork created by students in MAP's art education programs. These works were created through a series of workshops with youth and adults throughout Philadelphia investigating design and content ideas for All Join Hands: The Visions of Peace Project mural.

Artwork and quilt exhibited at F.U.E.L.:

The collaborations yielded large format drawings and paintings, a book of poetry, a 30 ft. hanging quilt, monoprints, and video installations. Gensler also collaborated with architect Paz Gutierrez using elements of the mural and workshop artwork to design and implement a new plaza space in front of the high school, using partially recycled and ecologically conscious materials.

To purchase the All Join Hands: Visions of Peace -- A Book of Poetry please visit our online store.

For more information please email Lindsey Rosenberg at lindsey.rosenberg@phila.gov or call her at 267-971-0155.

All Join Hands Satellite Site: Myers Recreation Center Mural Project

Entitled The Culture of Violence, the first satellite mural located at Myers Recreation Center (5800 Kingsessing Avenue), uncovered the effects of drugs and guns on Philadelphia's communities and its most troubled young people. Read more…