With more than 27-hundred murals, Philadelphia is the mural capital of
the world. Listen Up traveled there recently, and uncovered stories of
how this particular art form is bringing healing – to artists, and to
entire communities.
“Beauty will save the world.” So says a character in Dostoevsky’s 19th century novel, The Brothers Karamazov.
A lovely thought – but one that just might be rooted in truth - and the city of Philadelphia illustrates it.
A unique mural arts program is there literally blanketing the town with public art. And the impact is proving transformative.
Later
in the program we’ll meet an artist who’s creating a mural on the theme
of forgiveness - with the help of dozens of prison convicts.
We’ll also visit a community that truly became “a
community” through planning and creating a mural of their own.
But first, a closer look at how Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program began….
Jane Golden
is the founder and Director of the Mural Arts Program – a unique
program started by the city in 1984 as part of an anti-graffiti effort.
Holding Grandmother’s Quilt
is two exquisite murals painted on opposing walls of row houses in a
once decrepit Philadelphia neighbourhood. One mural depicts Ruth
Jones – a longtime resident and community leader here –
sewing a purple quilt. The facing mural shows radiant youngsters
holding the other end. In between, a once decaying, empty lot blooms
with a carpet of purple flowers. Like a river, they flow through the
gap between the walls, suggesting one continuous quilt.
The mural communicates a powerful message of patience and tenderness,
of love and friendship, and the passing on of wisdom between the
generations. And the people who live here, say its presence has
transformed their community.
Richard Drain and Norman Ellis
relinquished years of their lives to gang warfare and jail. When they
got out, they determined to un-do some of the wrongs they had done, and
give back to their community. They formed a community group, and
thought about improving the local park.
Working in collaboration with the city’s Mural Arts Program and
students from the University of Pennsylvania, the community transformed
this former hang-out of drug dealers and gangs into a lush public
space.
But the transformation carried over into the lives of these men.
Eric Okdeh is
the creator of a mural, it’s called Forgiveness – and its
creation was a community effort that involved lifers at the
penitentiary, juvenile delinquents, students and neighbourhood
residents.
It tells the story of Philadelphia resident Janice Jackson Burke and
her son Kevin. In 2003, at the age of 19, Kevin was shot on a street
corner and left paralyzed over a basketball jersey. He died last year,
from complications of the shooting. And the part of the story that
really stood out aside from the senselessness of the crime, was that
Kevin and his mother… forgave the kids that were involved. So
much so, that Janice, Kevin’s mom, even met with one of the
kids—met his parents... [and] got to know a little bit about
where he was coming from too. So it was a really interesting story
about people finding it within themselves to be able to forgive a
horrible, horrible thing.
Angela Crafton
has personal experience with such issues as forgiveness and rebuilding
lives. An artist with the mural arts program – she designed a
350-foot-long mural of eyes that have witnessed violence. She’s
seen her share of that. Until just 10 years ago, Angela was a crack
addict living on the streets. During one of her prison stays, Angela
took a class. It was during this class, she discovered she had a
natural gift and passion for art. Today, Angela is a certified art
teacher who works for the Mural Arts Program. She also works in prisons
and with juveniles – as they, too, discover the healing possible
through the arts.
Author, speaker and thinker Brian McLaren has been hailed by Time
Magazine as one of America’s most influential evangelicals.
Melinda Estabrooks had coffee with him recently, and asked him for his
thoughts on the “Transforming Power of the Arts.”
A story told by one of Einstein’s biographers, recounts that on April
12, 1930, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra gave a concert in Berlin.
The program was Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, and the soloist was Yehudi
Menuhin.
At the end of the recital, the audience burst into
wild applause, and Einstein reportedly rushed over to Menuhin, embraced
him, and exclaimed, ‘Now I know there is a God in heaven!’’
Art
communicates to us and through us like that. Art communicates on a soul
level. Art shows us -- in a material way – the reality that there’s
more to life than meets the eye.
Because of that, art is able to challenge our hearts and minds in ways that other forms of communication just can’t.
One of our guests said today that touches of beauty are chances for our soul to realize the reality of God surrounding us.
We’d
love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Write to us with your answer
to today’s question: “What do you think gives the arts their
transforming power?
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Read Lorna's Globe & Mail columns by searching
our archive.
Read 'Media & The Message'. Lorna says if the church wants to impact society, we need to share our stories.
On April 30, 2005 Lorna was privileged to receive an honorary Doctorate of Christian Ministries from Canada's largest Christian university, Trinity Western University. Lorna was recognized for the witness and leadership that Listen Up TV has provided in public messaging: "a leader in the voice of evangelical life in Canada."
