I just found out about an amazing project currently taking place in Philadelphia. In an effort to clean up a city in decay, filled with vacant tagged buildings and crime, a small group in the city created the Philadelphia Mural Arts Project. It was a way to fill all the vacant wall space and negative tags as well as engage the town and its artists all why beautifying the city as a whole. Currently, the Mural Arts Program (MAP) has produced over 2,700 murals throughout Philadelphia!!!!--more murals than any other city in the world. "These murals have become a cherished part of the civic landscape and a great source of pride and motivation to the millions of residents and visitors who encounter them each year." (muralarts.org)
This is definitely a possibility for Memphis. She too is filled with vacant wall space throughout the city as well as many able bodies artists to take on the job. It would help the community at large take pride in Memphis, making the city safer and more beautiful. It is the most effective and accessible of public art. Memphis should form a MAP Memphis chapter. It's too cool and doable not to happen.
