Filling Philly’s Walls With Hope, Rage, Resources & Dreams

In March, the boarded-up businesses and emptiness of Philadelphia got to be too much. A team put their minds together and wondered: How can artists fill the public streets with images and words to support folks’ emotional/mental health, share resources, dream of a more just future, and call out politics in this critical moment?

They put out a call, submissions from artists and poets followed, and what is today Fill the Walls With Hope, Rage, Resources and Dreams was born.

After the team originally pooled their personal resources to print and distribute the posters, Color Reflections, Mural Arts Philadelphia, Asian Arts Initiative and Village of Arts and Humanities joined the project to help disseminate the messages. The project also has a GoFundMe to support the participating artists, whose work addresses a variety of topics and themes—from “public health loves notes” to “giving thanks to all who give us life” to “art to heal inequality”—and can be seen at numerous locations throughout Philadelphia. (To get involved by submitting a design, click here.)