With over 4,400 murals Philadelphia is considered the mural capital of the world. Its first mural was painted in 1984 by the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network. Since then, murals have become integral to the city, embodying Philadelphians’ cultural pride. Recently, residents and artists expressed alarm over advertisements and new housing construction threatening to conceal these murals, sparking concerns over potential destruction of the art’s beauty and meaning. Each mural has been created by the community, for the community. The threat of advertisements and new construction make us raise the question if coexistence is possible. Can free public art and business both equally stand in the same urban space? If so, are there any laws that the city has in place to protect these public works of arts that surround the vibrant city?

Initiated by former Mayor Wilson Goode and managed by Executive Director Tim Spencer, the Anti-Graffiti Network was established to combat graffiti’s rapid spread and unite the community. The program actively involved graffiti writers, redirecting their talent from vandalization to community service. Spencer hired Jane Golden, a known mural artist, to work alongside these graffiti writers to create murals that highlighted many social justice issues. The program enabled the creation of public art, offered creative expression for many artists, and formed empowering community relationships. These murals facilitated social change, fostering community pride and supporting local artists who spread messages through urban art. The program continued to create murals that connected with the surrounding community’s people, culture, and history.
Philadelphia has since been known as the city covered in murals that beautify and educate. However, the significance of the murals has not stopped businesses from covering these beloved art pieces with advertisements. For example, a London-based oat milk company decided to advertise its product by gluing posters over murals that were showcasing appreciation of essential workers (Winberg). Outrage broke over the advertisements covering up public art, like Walls for Justice founder Samuel Rodriguez complaining, “This business broke the unwritten rule, don’t go over someone else’s work” (Winberg). Critics also explained that the murals served a much greater purpose than the company’s promotional posters (Mural Arts Philadelphia).
Another rising threat to murals is new construction, as the Economy League predicts increased activity in Philadelphia (Economy League). This construction activity covers up murals, thus defeating their purpose to be seen by the public in order to spread awareness and unify the city. Development has covered beloved murals like, ‘In Living Memory: Those of Us Alive’, ‘From The Mountains To The City’, and ‘Skin of the Bride’. When people see an obstructed mural that has been covered up with an advertisement or a building, the visual appeal isn’t there anymore and the message that was once there has been erased. As businesses continue to cover up murals, the question arises: are our valuable murals protected?
Many claim there is insufficient protection. While artists own mural copyrights, property owners wield ultimate decision-making power. Many echo Jane Golden’s call for the city to implement a plan and policy to safeguard and preserve urban murals (Fernandez and Johnston, 2021). Some suggestions propose legal guidelines that regulate the location and size of the ad to prevent obstructing the view of the artwork. Another proposal involves property-owners granting partial ownership to the community because “…if murals were considered the domain of the community, or of the public as a whole, property owners might think twice before demolishing them or painting them out” (Dale, 2023). This will give residents and artists a larger voice and influence and empower everyone to find a solution together if a mural is threatened.
In conclusion, Philadelphia murals are made to be seen and understood, as they reflect the city’s history, diversity, community, and perseverance. If they are covered up they can’t do their job anymore. Preserving murals is crucial for the city, as they serve not only as decoration but also as storytellers of Philadelphia’s essence and evolution. In order to save these reminders of our strong community, we need to protect and preserve murals as best as we can. Protection laws or ownership negotiations are essential to allow murals to coexist in this urban space with the overwhelming businesses and developments. Without change, many more murals will face the same fate, never to be seen again. Implementing laws to protect laws that protect public art ensures storytelling of Philadelphia’s history endures, inspiring more people to maintain hope and unity as a community.