PHILADELPHIA, August 2, 2001 -- October 2001 is Mural Arts Month in Philadelphia, celebrating the city’s more than 2,000 murals. Take in the city’s outstanding public art – and the mission behind it – via walking, trolley and bicycle tours, panel discussions, workshops, lively mural dedications and food and entertainment throughout the month. "Color brightens people’s lives," says Jane Golden, Director of the Mural Arts Program of the colorful legacy she and others have created on Philadelphia’s streets.

Many Mural Arts Month events are free, some require advance registration, reservations and/or ticket purchase. For a full schedule, visit www.muralarts.org. Highlights of Mural Arts Month include:

• Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street leading a bicycle mural tour on Sunday, October 7.
• The Children's Mural Workshop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on October 14.
• Cirque de Soleil mural dedications on September 28, October 8 and October 15.

Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is a non-profit organization dedicated to generating awareness of and visitation to Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. For more information about travel to Philadelphia visit www.gophila.com or call (877) GO-PHILA.

#1

"Common Threads," 1998, Artist: Meg Saligman, Location: Broad and Spring Garden streets, Philadelphia. This mural celebrates the similarities in traditions that link together different cultures and generations. Contemporary high school students and figurines from the past serve as models for the mural.

Photo credit: Philadelphia Department of Recreation

#2

"People of Point Breeze," 1998, Artist: David McShane, Location: 1541 S. 22^nd Street, Philadelphia. This mural pays tribute to some of Point Breeze’s famous citizens; singer Marian Anderson (pink dress), jazz virtuosos the Heath Brothers, and community activist Mamie Nichols.

#3

"Sunoco Welcome America," 1999, Artist: Paul Santoleri, Location: Interstate 76, Philadelphia. Visitors approaching the city from the Philadelphia International Airport will pass this colorful collage of regional scenes, painted onto a refinery tank.

Photo credit: Photo by Bob Krist for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. (GPTMC)

Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is a non-profit organization dedicated to generating awareness of and visitation to Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. For more information about travel to Philadelphia visit www.gophila.com or call (877) GO-PHILA.

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