UCD hopes to paint the town with murals

With over 1,700 outdoor wall paintings, Philadelphia boasts more murals than any other city in America. And in West Philadelphia, an area with an abundance of blank walls, the University City District is hoping to bring some colorful creations to this side of town. To that end, the UCD announced on Tuesday that it will collaborate with the City Mural Arts Program to paint two large-scale murals on blank area walls. The murals will celebrate the culture of the area and raise the public image of University City, UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke said. "Murals help to beautify the neighborhood and call attention to unique and positive neighborhood attributes," Steinke said. Two noted Philadelphia artists -- Drexel University Professor Michael Webb and mural artist Peter Pagast -- will design the murals, which will be painted on the walls of two Chestnut Street apartment buildings. "In each case we think we have one of the best mural artists in Philadelphia," Steinke said. The funding for the murals will be provided by the UCD in conjunction with Sovereign Bank and GMAC Mortgage. The first mural -- to be painted by Pagast on the wall of a four-story building at 4500 Chestnut Street-- will depict the late Paul Robeson, a West Philadelphia political activist and performer who lived at 4951 Walnut Street until his death in 1976. The painting of the mural is scheduled to begin next month and is expected to take about six weeks to complete, according to Steinke. The mural will cost about $15,000. Sovereign Bank is putting up $8,000 for the mural and the UCD will pay the remaining $7,000. And at 4008 Chestnut Street, Webb will create a three-story high mural -- estimated to cost $25,000, of which GMAC will contribute $18,000 -- capturing the arts and culture of West Philadelphia. The mural is still in the design stages but work should begin in early June and be finished by September. While the UCD does not currently have specific plans for future murals, Steinke said that the organization plans to continue with the mural program. The murals are part of a greater UCD initiative -- executed by the UCD's Capital Program Planning department -- to improve the public environment. Two other projects associated with this goal are the sidewalk construction along 40th and Chestnut streets that began last month and the improvement of University City street signage that is currently in the planning stages. University City residents Amy Orr and John Woodin -- who own the apartment building at 4008 Chestnut -- applauded the UCD's effort and gladly agreed to the painting of the mural on their property. "It seemed to everyone a perfect idea," Orr said.

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