Back in 1984, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, had a graffiti problem. People were illegally spray-painting the city’s walls. Local artist Jane Golden came up with an unusual solution: Team up graffiti-makers with professional artists to paint murals on buildings with the owners’ permission. This eventually led to Mural Arts Philadelphia, a program that works in collaboration with communities to transform their public spaces into canvases for works of art. Since 1984, Mural Arts has created more than 4,000 murals throughout the city.
And it’s not just Philadelphia. Murals have been popping up in cities such as New York, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Building owners eagerly invite famous street artists, like Shepard Fairey and Os Gemeos, to turn their bare walls into beautiful works of art.