What is the Mural Arts Institute?
As part of Mural Arts Philadelphia, the Mural Arts Institute (MAI) is dedicated to sharing knowledge, ideas, and experiences that have shaped our approach to community-centered artmaking.
At its core, MAI seeks to build connections, sustain relationships, and share skills about the practices that have been instrumental in creating works of public art with Philadelphia citizens. We work with artists, arts administrators, and community leaders across the world to align knowledge, amplify voices, empower change, and distribute resources that move us all toward a more inclusive and equitable future for socially engaged public art.
Through each learning exchange, we advance our own understanding of the different approaches to community engagement. MAI recognizes that community-engaged art practices evolve over time, valuing what can be accomplished together. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you, to learn your story, and to share ours.
Art & Environmental Justice Symposium, September 14, 2022. Photo by Troy Bynum.
What is Mural Arts?
Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation's largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For 40 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative process to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives. With a portfolio that includes more than 3,500 murals, Mural Arts continues to expand its community engagement projects beyond painting to include performance, photography, sculpture, and temporary installations.
Art Ignites Change
Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, discusses MAP’s 40-year public art practice, from its early history to current methods.
Who we are
We are a group of artists and art professionals passionate about knowledge sharing and creative exchange. We bring years of experience from both within and beyond Mural Arts to advance the research and practice of community-engaged public art.
Accra Zuberi
(they/them)
Initiative Manager
is a surrealist artist and enthusiastic programming administrator. It is Accra’s mission to empower and enrich communities through the exploration of the arts.
Cathy Harris
(she/her)
Senior Project Manager
is a native Philadelphian and longtime arts administrator. Cathy was Director of Community Murals for Mural Arts Philadelphia for eighteen years, and continues her work with the organization as a senior project manager for Community Murals while also contributing as an advisor to the Mural Arts Institute.
David McShane
(he/him)
Director of Resident Artists
is an artist and Director of Resident Muralists for Mural Arts Philadelphia (MAP). He has been painting for MAP since 1996, and has completed well over 200 murals in the Philadelphia area.
Emilio Maldonado
(he/him)
Artist Relations Director
Emilio Maldonado
(he/him)
Artist Relations Director
Emilio Maldonado
(he/him)
Artist Relations Director
Felix St. Fort Jr.
(he/him)
Resident Artist
Jane Golden
(she/her)
Executive Director
Jane Golden has been the driving force of Mural Arts Philadelphia since its inception, overseeing its growth from a small city agency into the nation’s largest public art program and a global model for transforming public space and community through art.
Joseph Iacona
(he/him)
Director of Mural Arts Institute
Maya Zarate-Ramirez
(she/her)
Mural Arts Institute Administrator
Maya Ramirez is a Philadelphia-based arts educator with extensive experience in youth art education and public art practices. She is deeply committed to supporting community-driven public programming, with a focus on fostering creativity and engagement in local communities.
Nathaniel Lee
(he/him)
Resident Artist
Netanel Portier
(she/her)
Senior Director of Learning and Practice
Shira Walinsky
(she/her)
Porchlight Coordinator
Netanel Portier
(she/her)
Senior Director of Learning and Practice
Sarah Branch
(she/her)
Program Manager
Shira Walinsky
(she/her)
Porchlight Coordinator
News
Learn about our past and current work by exploring blog posts, press, or our newsletters below. Connect with us by subscribing to receive future newsletters.
Initiatives
Botanical Dye Workshop led by artist Michelle Glass, Iglesias Gardens, September 2022,
Philadelphia, PA.
Mural Arts believes that opportunities, resources, and knowledge should be accessible to all. Since the launching of the Institute, we have developed cohort-based learning initiatives that seek to expand the capacity of other like minded changemakers through a multi-faceted approach, including individual coaching, peer learning, organizational consulting, public programs that support local ecosystems, and nation-wide networking opportunities. Beyond providing substantial funding to cohort participants, we center their voices and works through symposia, publications, and video documentation.
Public art archive
Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For over 35 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives. Mural Arts engages communities in 50–100 public art projects each year, and maintains its growing collection through a restoration initiative. Our core program areas—Art Education, Restorative Justice, and Porch Light—yield unique, project-based learning opportunities for thousands of youth and adults. Each year, 15,000 residents and visitors tour Mural Arts’ outdoor art gallery, which has become part of the city’s civic landscape and a source of pride and inspiration, earning Philadelphia international recognition as the “City of Murals.” Cataloging its collections on the Public Art Archive supports Mural Arts’ ongoing work to document and preserve information about its projects and collaborative artmaking practices, and expand access to participatory artworks by providing an additional point of entry for public engagement.
