Mural Arts Philadelphia, Councilmember Quetcy Lozada's Office, and Impact Services are working on an exciting collaborative initiative, Heart of Kensington Creates (HOKC). Heart of Kensington Creates is a cross-sector, community-centered arts initiative focused on collective impact – lifting each neighborhood to celebrate its identity while building on their shared Kensington pride. This initiative aims to create a series of murals, art installations, and activations along Kensington Ave between the Huntingdon Street Station and the Tioga Street Station, culminating in August 2026.

The public art component of the project will include 6 large-scale murals, 6 smaller-scale murals/art installations, 3-local gallery activations, a community wide paint activity to be displayed on the Septa “El” line, and the inclusion of the Afromation Avenue series, a collection of curated positive affirmation street signs personalized by predominantly Black/African American communities throughout Philadelphia. The projects will all be based on community engagement and design feedback.

Image Credit: The Future Is Worth The Fight Just Hold On You Will See, mural in Kensington by Jess X. Snow, Frisly Soberanis