Making Place by Building Civic Stewardship & Public Art-Making - Mural Arts Philadelphia Mural Arts Philadelphia

The public forum “Making Place by Building Civic Stewardship & Public Art-Making” is an important opportunity for a public conversation about larger issues that are part of a national trend called “Creative Placemaking” — an evolving concept that attempts to merge public art with economic development and environmental stewardship to foster a sense of place in neighborhoods and communities.

On Thursday, May 14 at 6:30, a public lecture and forum on creative placemaking will take place in Drexel’s Leonard Pearlstein Gallery (3401 Filbert St.). This event is free and open to the public. A small reception will be held prior to the forum at 6:00, and the forum will begin at 6:30.

Three panelists, Majora Carter, Urban Revitalization Strategist and President of the Majora Carter Group, LLC; Jennifer McGregor, Director of Arts & Senior Curator at Wave Hill New York Public Garden & Culture Center; and Gonzalo Casals, Vice President of Programs & Community Engagement at the Friends of the High Line, will give presentations about their work as it relates to creative placemaking, civic stewardship, social equity, public art and environmental infrastructure. Following the presentations, the panelists will engage in a question-and-answer session with the audience.

Have questions about Making Place by Building Civic Stewardship & Public Art-Making?
Contact Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, Mural Arts Philadelphia
This event is FREE, but you must RSVP via Eventbrite.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University is a semi-independent interdisciplinary organization, named in honor and recognition of Philip Lindy and his family, who have donated generously to civic engagement initiatives at Drexel. Launched in 2012, the Lindy Institute provides a centralized hub for Drexel and its partners to incubate and launch innovative, effective community initiatives that build regional economic strength while promoting experiential learning, public service, and scholarly work by students, faculty, and professional staff.

The Mural Arts Philadelphia was first established in 1984 as part of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network’s effort to eradicate the city’s graffiti crisis. Artist Jane Golden was hired to reach out to graffiti writers and redirect their energies to constructive public art projects. In addition to addressing the problem of graffiti, Mural Arts’ collective mural-making processes proved to be a powerful tool for generating dialogue, building relationships, empowering communities, and sparking economic revitalization. In 1996, the Anti-Graffiti Network was reorganized and Mural Arts Philadelphia became its own entity. Soon after, the nonprofit Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates was established to raise additional funds for the program, making Mural Arts a unique public/private partnership