March 09, 2016
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
The Bernie Sanders mural at 22nd and Catherine streets, Thursday, March 10, 2016.
Despite a recent swing in media coverage favoring Hillary Clinton to take the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, Bernie Sanders is still far from out of the race. A strong primary win in Michigan and a solid standing across states that will ultimately prove crucial for a Democratic victory in the General Election means that assessing Sanders' chances requires much more than a cursory glance at the delegate count with 28 primaries still left to go.
As Philadelphia prepares to host the Democratic National Convention in July, supporters of Bernie Sanders now have something else to look at: a #PhillytheBern mural painted by local artists Old Broads and Disto on the side of a soon-to-be redeveloped building at 22nd and Catherine streets.
According to Conrad Benner of the Streets Dept blog, the idea for the mural came from the building's owner, Glass Properties, which recently completed a renovation of the property across the street, now Ultimo Coffee.
Benner sought out friends Old Broads and Disto to tackle the project over a five-day span from March 7-12. To help support their work and cover associated costs, the #PhillytheBern group launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $5,000.
The Graduate Hospital area mural will be short-lived, as Glass Properties eventually plans to transform the building into a commercial space including a restaurant and offices, but it should serve as an excellent conversation piece during the height of the 2016 election season, especially if Bernie Sanders prevails in Philadelphia.
A photo posted by @distoart on
