May 05, 2020
Bastiaan Slabbers/for PhillyVoice
The Mural Arts program has created a new initiative to decorate the boarded-up storefronts of some Philly businesses closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Mural Arts program has launched a new effort to beautify the Philadelphia streets dulled by the COVID-19 shutdown.
Mural Arts is collaborating with the Center City District to decorate the boarded-up windows of businesses closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Associated Press reported Monday. The so-called "Storefront Artwork Initiative" is one of several efforts designed to lighten the mood.
Some Center City storefronts have been boarded up since the beginning of the public health crisis, as their owners sought to protect their properties.
Mural Arts is installing 24 works painted by 11 artists at nine storefront locations, the AP reported. The program hopes the artwork deters graffiti and brightens the downtown vibe.
Additionally, the program's "Space Pads Project" is providing open businesses with temporary floor tiles aimed at reinforcing social distancing guidelines. The tiles, also designed by local artists, are spaced at six-foot intervals and include positive messages like "we got this."
"Illustrating how important art is for strategic and effective communication, Space Pads are another concrete example of how the arts are foundational to a functioning society," the program wrote on its website.
Mural Arts also created artwork at four new hand-washing stations installed throughout the city. That effort was conducted in collaboration with Broad Street Ministry and the city government to aid Philly's homeless residents amid the pandemic.
More information about the projects, including a place to donate, are available on the Mural Arts website.
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