FIRST PERMANENT VOTING MURAL IN PHILLY CENTERS ON ANCESTRY AND LEGACY

Mural Arts Philadelphia and Show Up Strong partner to boost voter turnout in West Philly ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election. A crowd gathered at the intersection of 57th and Walnut on Tuesday morning to celebrate the unveiling of the mural named ‘Philly Votes: Legacy in Bloom’. The brightly colored, floral art piece covers the entire side of the New Vitae treatment facility.

According to Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, other temporary voting-based murals have been displayed in the city, but the ‘Philly Votes’ mural is the first permanent installation of its kind.

“In a city known for its murals this was missing from our collection,” said Golden in a speech.

28-year-old, Philly-based muralist, Tai Corrienté Baucom, is the artist. The voting mural is Baucom's first outdoor mural.

“I’ve always been in the arts since I was a kid,” said Baucom. The young artist started her journey with Mural Arts Philadelphia as a student. Her design was chosen over two other candidates. “It was nice to get the opportunity — I was really excited and got to work!”

Baucom explains that the purple figures displayed in the piece are modeled after the women in her own life. The incorporation of purple symbolizes the state’s political diversity. “I wanted to experiment with colors other than natural skin tones,” said the artist. “Originally when we started to design… Pennsylvania was more of a purple state.”

Pennsylvania is referred to as a battleground state. President Biden won the state by less than 2% votes in the 2020 Presidential Election, according to CNN. The illustration of various flower types in the mural also plays on the idea of diversity.

The artist was accompanied by her family. Baucom’s brother, Rahsaan Monroe, expressed profound gratitude for his sister. “It means a lot to our family — I’m just here to support her. I’m proud of her,” remarked Monroe.

The event’s programming consisted of speeches from Mural Arts’ leadership, local politicians, and art enthusiasts. All of the speakers pushed messaging surrounding the importance of voting. In a speech, Val Gay, Executive Director of Philadelphia’s Office of Art, Culture and Creative Economy (OACCE), emphasized the mural’s theme of legacy.

“Every time I go into a polling booth I think about the sacrifices my grandparents made for all of us,” stated Gay after she discussed the experiences of her grandparents paying poll taxes to vote. “They showed up for us — and now it’s our turn,” remarked Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier.

The project manager of the mural, Conrad Benner, fondly recounted his childhood memory of pushing buttons in the voting booth for his mom. Community resources were provided for attendees. Show Up Strong dispersed free ALDI gift cards and Pizza at the Polls along with Zoe Coffee Cart fed the crowd. The ceremony ended with a confetti release, while passing-by community members and neighbors offered thanks.

In her speech, Baucom expressed appreciation for the neighboring community. She exclaimed that people continuously walked by and encouraged her throughout the process. The first-of-its-kind mural will now exist as a memento in the West Philadelphia community forever.