Kensington Storefront

About the Hub 

The Kensington Storefront is the newest initiative of Porch Light, an ongoing partnership between Mural Arts, and the City’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS). Over the past five years, Mural Arts has expanded its impact in neighborhoods with the development and maintenance of storefront hubs, such as Southeast by Southeast in South Philadelphia, and Neighborhood Time Exchange in Belmont. These physical spaces have paved the way for better connections with local communities and organizations, thanks to a dedicated footprint and extended time for interactions with staff and artists.

There are many organizations engaged in Kensington, all working toward transforming a community fractured by drug addiction, crime, and housing insecurity. The storefront serves as a workshop for visiting artists, a safe space for neighbors, and a learning hub for anyone interested in art-making, personal and public safety, or self-care—but it also serves as a hub for area organizations, with the intention of working more effectively together. Public programming at the storefront creates opportunities for community members to speak for themselves in a profoundly public way, and connects individuals to organizations that provide services and referrals that they might not otherwise encounter.

Artist Parris Stancell will create a mural with community members, which, in combination with ongoing programs, will focus on helping Kensington residents learn how to marshal their resources and find pathways to recovery.