Mural features historic architecture of W. Phila.

An artist's rendition of life in the neighborhood puts a spotlight on area homes. The famed Victorian-style homes that dot the West Philadelphia cityscape will be the focal point of a new mural that highlights the residential aspects of University City. "The idea was to make something inviting and characteristic of the area and the neighborhood," artist Max Mason said of his creation, which will be unveiled at 40th and Chestnut streets by next spring. His preliminary sketch depicts girls playing double-dutch against a background of local landmarks, including the firehouse, the farmer's market at Clark Park, Calvary Church, the trolleys rumbling down Baltimore Avenue and, of course, the antique Victorian housing stock. Dividing both his sketch and the blank wall into grids -- with each square in the sketch translating to a square 68 times as big on the wall, Mason then approached his brick canvas with a step-by-step process resembling a paint-by-numbers kit. But it's not as simple as it sounds. The huge scale of the mural means it's hard for Mason to know how the final product will look. One little slip in the clipboard-sized original can translate to a mistake 68 times as large in the oversized picture. "One little involuntary muscle spasm when you're painting the sketch can turn into two feet of you don't know what on the wall," Mason said. A former resident of University City, Mason studied painting at Penn's Graduate School of Fine Arts and now teaches in the Department of Design at Drexel University. The University City District commissioned Mason as part of its ongoing effort to beautify the area and erase the blank eyesores that dot the city's streets. "I think his familiarity with West Philadelphia is evident in the product that he's painting right now and [it] screams West Philadelphia," UCD Director of Capital Programs and Planning Eric Goldstein said. Out of the total $25,000 in costs, the UCD is providing $7,000 while corporate sponsor General Motors Acceptance Corporation, the banking arm of General Motors, is providing the rest. GMAC has recently moved into the neighborhood and has a branch office on the 3900 block of Chestnut Street. Their services include financing mortgages and GMAC wanted to help increase visibility for the quality housing in the area, Goldstein said. "To have an image like this, a powerful image, that conveys something about the broader community and sends that message to all the visitors and other people who will be using 40th Street, it is a positive thing," UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke said. Included in the mural are actual examples of some of the most beautiful Victorian homes in the neighborhood. When Penn Vice President for Facilities Omar Blaik was told that his house was going to be featured on the mural, he was pleasantly surprised. "We are proud to see the wonderful architecture of West Philadelphia being displayed publicly," Blaik said. "The house we live in, as many of the houses in the neighborhood, was built early this century and has a lot of charm and warmth to it." Although the mural will be completed by the end of this month, the official unveiling will not be held until the spring when the warmer weather will permit an outdoor presentation.

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