For nearly 40 years, Keith Haring’s We the Youth has been a highlight in Philadelphia’s Point Breeze neighborhood.
The vibrant figures dancing across the facade of a three-bedroom rowhouse at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets is the only collaborative Haring mural that remains intact in its original location.
Now it’s one step closer to being added to the city’s Register of Historic Places. On Wednesday, an advisory group of the Philadelphia Historical Commission unanimously approved its nomination to be included.
If approved at next month’s Philadelphia Historical Commission meeting, the mural will be added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. That would make it the first outdoor mural to be an officially designated and protected landmark in the city’s history. It’ll be only the fifth mural to be designated as such, after The Dream Garden inside the Curtis Center, the New Deal-era murals inside the Family Court building, the frescoed ceiling at Old City’s St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, and Iron Plantation Near Southwark inside the Southwark Station Post Office in South Philly.
Keith Haring, who died in 1990, with his painted carousel. MUST CREDIT: Sabina Sarnitz/Luna Luna/Keith Haring Foundation/Artestar
Haring, the Reading, Pa., native, whose bold drawings and vivacious paintings meld the worlds of graffiti and contemporary art, became one of the defining artists of his generation. He died in 1990, at age 31, due to AIDS-related complications.
In 1987, Haring and a group of 14 Philly and New York students collaborated on We the Youth to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution.
In 2013, Mural Arts Philadelphia undertook a massive restoration of the Haring mural, located on a shared party wall at 2147 and 2149 Ellsworth Streets. In recent months, organizations have advocated for the designation of the pop artist’s mural.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the nomination was presented by Alex Till, a historic preservation planner for the City of Philadelphia, who referenced designation criteria A and E because of the mural’s artistic and cultural significance.
“We the Youth” sits at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets, with a small park next to it. Photo from 2013.Steve Weinik / Mural Arts Philadelphia
According to the City of Philadelphia website, criteria A is considered for “significant character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City, Commonwealth, or Nation or be associated with the life of a person significant in the past.” Criteria E is for the work of a “designer, architect, landscape architect or designer, or engineer whose work has significantly influenced the historical, architectural, economic, social, or cultural development of the City, Commonwealth, or Nation,” according to the website.
Till was joined by Mural Arts Philadelphia founder and former leader Jane Golden; Jenny Greenberg, executive director of the Neighborhood Gardens Trust; and Simon Castets, executive director of the Keith Haring Foundation.
Golden said the mural is a part of the “unique fabric of Philadelphia.”
“There are few opportunities to preserve history while it is still physically present and still connected to our city and our community. This is the moment,” Golden said.
Erica Bryant mimics a Keith Haring figure. “We the Youth,” a Keith Haring mural created in 1987 at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets, has been restored by artists from the Mural Arts Program. Photo from 2013. ( MICHAEL S. WIRTZ / Staff Photographer )Michael S. Wirtz / Staff Photographer
Greenberg said amid the ongoing threat of development and gentrification in this city, it is almost rare to find a mural that has been at the same site for 40 years. And this is why historical designation is necessary.
“The mural’s location reflects Haring’s commitment to making art accessible to the public, regardless of socioeconomic status, and to engaging young people as creative partners,” she said.
The advisory group, comprising architects, historians, and preservation experts, agreed that the mural meets the criteria. After nearly an hour of deliberation, including comments from Philadelphia residents who tuned into the Zoom meeting, the group approved the nomination and recommended it to the commission for next month’s meeting.
The commission will vote Oct. 9. If approved, We the Youth would be the city’s first designated mural in over four years.
A potential historic designation will not affect the larger property and will be restricted to the mural and the wall it is painted on. The building’s owner will be required to maintain the structural integrity of the wall and commit to set obligations, with Mural Arts making any necessary restorations to the mural itself.
If the mural is designated, the building’s owner, listed as “2147 Ellsworth LLC” in city records, will not be allowed to remove or alter the appearance of the mural without the Historic Commission’s review.
While speakers were impassioned by the possibility of historical designation, 2147 Ellsworth LLC manager Ori Feibush, serving as a representative at Wednesday’s committee meeting, opposed the nomination.
Kutztown, Pa., native Keith Haring came back to Philadelphia at the height of his worldwide popularity in 1987 and painted a mural at 22nd & Ellsworth Streets with the help of neighborhood kids from the Brandywine Workshop. This photo, from May 27, 1999, shows the mural before restoration. (Tom Gralish/Staff photographer)
Feibush warned that the designation would impede the building’s renovation efforts, which may require the demolition of the rowhouse’s interior, based on analysis from engineers. Since purchasing the property eight years ago, Feibush said his company has worked diligently to reduce water infiltration and minimize movement to “preserve the mural.”
Despite years of efforts, he said, the mural has delaminated from the underlying salmon brick and is in a fragile condition.
“The removal and, ultimately, reinstallation of the mural here is the only path to create something that can be here long term,” Feibush said.
By gaining historical designation, he said, there will be temporary plans made to preserve the site, rather than long-term fixes that will ensure the mural lasts “another 100 years,” rather than the five to seven he projects.
“We the Youth,” a Keith Haring mural painted in 1987 at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets, was restored to its original vibrancy in 2013 by the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. [File Photo]Michael S. Wirtz / Staff Photographer
“This mural we hope will forever be at this location, but the only way this location could have a mural is without a designation,” he said.
Committee member Jeff Cohen was one of several who questioned whether historical designation and preservation could happen simultaneously. He and his fellow member Elizabeth Milroy agreed that both methods should be carefully studied and explored before next month’s commission meeting, ensuring that all scenarios are properly vetted and that all attendees’ views are considered.
The committee then opened the meeting to the public. Several Point Breeze residents, many of whom live within walking distance of the mural, supported the historical designation.
An earlier version of the article misstated the murals included in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. It has been updated to include the frescoed ceiling at St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church in Old City.
As the afterglow of the world’s largest sports tournament and the country’s formal 250th birthday party in Philadelphia fades, the city is returning to its regularly scheduled programming.
But those months of celebrations came with significant investments into the city: building up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, hosting Grammy Award-winning stars, renovating Lemon Hill to welcome half a million people, and, of course, the cleaning and maintenance work that made Philadelphia look fresher than it has in years.
SEPTA and the city partnered to landscape and beautify major traffic intersections, sometimes with a new mural provided by Mural Arts Philadelphia. SEPTA stations alsoreceived a much-needed deep clean and graffiti removal, all before and during the summer celebrations.
PHLASH buses got an extra stop to get to Lemon Hill; fans got free rides on the Broad Street Line after World Cup games. And, just as the international fans packed up their bags to head home, it’s time for many of those features to go, too.
But what about all the things staying in Philly? The city is not getting just generational memories and a summer party out of the deal. Here are some of the major legacy projects remaining in Philadelphia for years to come, perhaps even until the tercentennial celebration in 2076.
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New mini soccer pitches across Pennsylvania
Location: Throughout Pennsylvania.
The project: How does the United States grow the next crop of elite soccer players? By making it easier to play soccer starting at a young age. At least 13 mini soccer pitches are being installed at schools, recreation centers, and parks across Pennsylvania.
The first two of Philly’s mini pitches were installed at West Oak Lane’s Building 21 and the Swenson Arts and Technology High School in Northeast Philadelphia. According to the U.S. Soccer Foundation, which is overseeing the project, each mini pitch costs $150,000 to install.
The U.S. Soccer Foundation has committed $2 million to install mini-soccer fields like this one in Northeast Philadelphia ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Kerith Gabriel
Who is behind it: The city and several nonprofits and private companies are backing this initiative, mostly through a $2 million investment from Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the city’s host committee for the 2026 men’s World Cup. Additional backers include the Philadelphia School District, Independence Blue Cross, and Comcast, among others. The U.S. Soccer Foundation is administering the funds and overseeing the installation of the pitches.
The project: The transformation of Fishtown’s TipTop Playground into two mini, enclosed turf soccer pitches, with additional event space and field lighting for night play. The pitches are now open for kids and adults.
Fishtown’s street soccer park will host leagues, free training clinics, and youth soccer programs. Casual pickup soccer is available outside of scheduled programming, led by Street Soccer USA, the organization that helps run such soccer parks across the country.
Who is behind it: You guessed it: Bank of America and Visa. Street Soccer USA will run programming at the park in collaboration with local groups.
Lemon Hill Park
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, center, will visit Lemon Hill Park on Thursday, April 10 for an operational planning tour of Philadelphia Soccer 2026’s FIFA Fan Festival siteJose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Location: Sedgley Drive and North Lemon Hill Drive.
The project: Lemon Hill Park received some updates ahead of hosting the official FIFA Fan Festival, and is now getting a much-needed makeover after 39 days of World Cup festivities. The restoration of the grass is underway, with more permanent amenities soon to be constructed.
Some upgrades are complete:
Other upgrades are coming soon:
Who is behind it: Philadelphia Soccer 2026 is committing $4 million to park upgrades, with help from the city, to repair the grass fields, bring new modern amenities to parts of the park, and outfit the space with new electrical service, provided by Peco, to prepare for future large events.
FDR Park’s Ashburn Field
The MLB is renovating Ashburn Field in FDR Park, a city field managed and maintained by the Phillies that hosts a variety of youth baseball programs.Colin Evans / For The Inquirer
Location: 1500 Pattison Ave.
The project: Ashburn Field at FDR Park has been resurfaced with a new turf field, meant to better handle wet weather conditions. The 135,000-square-foot field was built in 1998, using funds generated from the 1996 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Who is behind it: Major League Baseball and the Phillies, as part of a combined investment of more than $5 million in various projects tied to the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, including revitalizing the Negro Leagues Memorial Park and mural at 44th Street and Parkside Avenue in West Philly.
Independence National Historical Park
The rotunda inside the First Bank of the United States is pictured on Monday, June 29, 2026 in Philadelphia.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Location: 599 Market St.
The project: Several improvements have already come to Independence National Historical Park and Independence Mall to commemorate the nation’s Semiquincentennial, and more are on the way. They include:
A $3.9 million “Join or Die” sculpture on Independence Mall, inspired by the truncated snake in Benjamin Franklin’s cartoon of the same name. The 46-foot-long granite work is expected to be unveiled this fall.
Beautification and horticultural work. This includes work at the Benjamin Rush Garden at Third and Walnut Streets, which showcases the 1976 Bicentennial Bell, a 10-ton Liberty Bell replica gifted by Queen Elizabeth II.
The reopening of the First Bank of the United States, on Third Street between Walnut and Chestnut Streets. The bank had been closed for 50 years but is now open for visitors thanks to a $43 million renovation.
Who is behind it: Independence Historical Trust, the city, the state, private foundations, philanthropists, and legacy groups.
Germantown Historical Society Visitor Center
Location: 5501 Germantown Ave.
Tuomi Forrest, executive director at the Germantown Historical Society, and Kaila Temple, curator of collections at GHS, at the Germantown Historical Society building located at 5501 Germantown Ave. in Philadelphia, July 21, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
The project: The Germantown Historical Society has its first visitors center, thanks to a $100,000 renovation of a section of its headquarters. It is modest but will host rotating exhibits, maps and pamphlets, and a gift shop.
Historic Germantown consists of various landmarks and attractions in Northwest Philly, including the Aces Veterans Museum, Awbury Arboretum, and the Germantown White House, where George Washington once lived.
Who is behind it: The Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, a philanthropic group organized by the Connelly Foundation that donated to many initiatives and projects related to the 250th anniversary celebration.
Thora Jacobson, 77, of Philadelphia, award-winning former chief executive officer at the Fleisher Art Memorial, former executive director at the Philadelphia Art Alliance, former director of design review for Mural Arts Philadelphia, former chief operating officer for Philagrafika, former chair of the Philadelphia Art Commission, onetime adjunct instructor at Drexel University, independent curator, artist, mentor, Mummers Parade judge, and much more, died suddenly Sunday, Aug. 2, at her home. The exact cause of her death has not been determined.
Born and reared in Ridley Park, Delaware County, Ms. Jacobson became interested in art education, administration, and conservation at Trinity Washington College in Washington in the 1960s. She settled in South Philadelphia after college in the 1970s and spent the next 50 years organizing, promoting, and inspiring local artists and art organizations.
“Philadelphia richly deserves to be known as a place that honors its own,” she told The Inquirer in 2006.
She joined Fleisher in 1972, rose to CEO in 1983, and left in 2006 to work over the next two decades at Philagrafika, Mural Arts Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Art Alliance, and elsewhere. During her 34 years at Fleisher, she developed its Center for Works on Paper, the Community Partnerships in the Arts program, and the Challenge series juried competition.
She also oversaw three capital campaigns and told The Inquirer that her priority was “seeing connections and possibilities between and among artists, institutions, and their constituencies.” A colleague said on Facebook: “To many of us she was Fleisher.”
John Ittmann, former curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, told The Inquirer in 2006: “Thora is a real firecracker. She has a wonderful type of energy that is really infectious.”
Ms. Jacobson was also chair of the Philadelphia Art Commission for a decade, interim director of operations for the Asian Arts Initiative, vice president of the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, trustee of the National Guild of Community Arts Education,member of the American Swedish Historical Museum,and, most recently, a visual arts management consultant.
Ms. Jacobson and fellow curator Warren Angle admire an exhibition at the Fleisher Art Memorial in 2002. April Saul / Staff Photographer
“Thora was kind and clear,” colleagues at Social Impact Studios said on Facebook, “but firm as she pushed us to keep tweaking things until they were as strong as they could be.”
She was an adjunct instructor at Drexel University from 2010 to 2014 and led research projects at Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania on social impacts of art in Philadelphia neighborhoods. Her first job out of college was coordinator of the student center at the Art Museum.
She curated and juried shows, and wrote forwards and essays for art books and catalogs. She drew in her spare time and judged the Mummers Parade for years.
She was featured in The Inquirer and Daily News, and appeared in the 1992 TV art documentary Monuments in Love. In 2006, she earned the Visionary Woman Award from Moore College of Art and Design, and was honored for lifetime achievement by Tri-State Artists Equity.
Ms. Jacobson, standing between Jim Straw, to the left, and Ralph Wellington to her right, earned the Visionary Woman Award from Moore College of Art & Design in 2006.Gary Horn Photography
“She’s really respected throughout the arts community in Philadelphia,” Happy Fernandez, then president of Moore, said in 2006. Anne d’Harnoncourt, then director of the Art Museum, said Ms. Jacobson’s “impact has been enormous.”
William Valerio, director and CEO of the Woodmere museum, said: “Thora was a towering figure in the arts of Philadelphia, a builder of institutions whose accomplishments are lasting.”
Thora Elizabeth Jacobson was born Feb. 19, 1949, in Ridley Park. She was the youngest of three children; her father died when she was 3. She played field hockey in high school, was fascinated by words and language, and graduated from the old Holy Child Academy in Sharon Hill.
She met her husband, Antonio Sorgini, when he was taking classes at Fleisher, and they married in 1980 and had a son, Antongiulio. Her husband died in May.
Ms. Jacobson, her husband, Antonio Sorgini, and their son, Antongiulio, lived in South Philadelphia.Courtesy of the family
Ms. Jacobson was a talented seamstress and baker. She did humorous impersonations, collected art, and enjoyed working with young people.
Friends noted her “many kindnesses” and “decades-long advocacy for artists and the cultural community” in online tributes. Woodmere’s Valerio said: “She was both a strong voice and a warm friend to many.”
Her son said: “She had a sharp wit and relished cheerful banter among friends and colleagues. Above all, she took the work of mentorship very seriously.”
In addition to her son, Ms. Jacobson is survived by a sister and other relatives. A brother died earlier.
Friends noted Ms. Jacobson’s “many kindnesses” and “decades-long advocacy for artists and the cultural community.”Courtesy of the family
A celebration of her life is to be held later.
Donations in her name may be made to the Fleisher Art Memorial, 719 Catharine St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147; and Mural Arts Philadelphia, 1727-29 Mount Vernon St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19130.
Ms. Jacobson was a talented seamstress and baker. Mark Garvin, / Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia City Council is already looking to 2027. And with all 17 seats on the ballot next spring, the elections are shaping up to be a pivotal test of whether the city’s established politicians can withstand a rising tide of frustration with the party among Democratic voters.
All of the incumbents have said they intend to run for reelection, and several are likely to face serious challenges from new candidates focused on grassroots organizing and progressive groups — hoping to seize the opportunity presented by a nationwide leftward shift amid President Donald Trump’s second term.
Three districts have emerged as key battlegrounds.
And the city’s progressive organizations, emboldened by a series of wins locally and nationally, are targeting two other districts: the 1st, which stretches from South Philadelphia to Fishtown and is represented by Councilmember Mark Squilla, and the 8th, which includes parts of North and Northwest Philadelphia and is represented by Councilmember Cindy Bass.
“We’re definitely feeling confident,” said Robert Saleem Holbrook, executive director of the progressive advocacy group Straight Ahead. “Anyone who is going to be running under a progressive banner or a progressive movement is going to have to be running against the establishment, not toward it.”
A competitive race also appears to be taking shape for the seven Council seats that represent the city at-large.
Five of those seats are all but certain to be won by Democrats, making the May 2027 primary the key election in deep-blue Philadelphia.
The other two at-large seats — set aside for Council members outside the majority party under the city’s Home Rule Charter — will be decided in the November 2027 general election. Currently, the two minority party seats are held by Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Nicolas O’Rourke of the left-leaning Working Families Party.
Jane Golden, founder and executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, takes the stage during the dedication of the Super Bowl LIX mural at Spike’s Trophies on June 17, 2025 in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Golden, 73, said last week that she is not currently running for Council, but acknowledged she has thought about it for years.
“It’s always something that is tempting to me, because I just love the city so much,” she said. “I feel honored that people even think of me.”
Progressives eye Bass’ North Philly seat
Philadelphia’s progressive activists this year see two key opportunities to expand the loosely organized left-leaning bloc on Council, which currently consists of four members. Winning additional seats could also grow their influence by enticing more moderate members to vote alongside them if they believe primary voters are moving left.
Leftists have notched high-profile wins in Democratic primaries across the country this year, including in Philadelphia, where democratic socialist State Rep. Chris Rabb (D., Philadelphia) bested more moderate candidates for a seat in Congress representing about half of the city. The district is one of the most Democratic in the nation.
Anderson-Oberman, 55, the executive director of the progressive group Reclaim Philadelphia, said last week that he is “leaning” toward taking another swing.
“We’re in a moment in this country and this city where people have had enough,” he said. “People are looking for new answers. … Cindy represents the old way of doing things.”
Union organizer Seth Anderson-Oberman, running for 8th District City Council, joins in a small rally with community and Happy Hollow Advisory Board members along Wayne Avenue at Happy Hollow Playground in Philadelphia on April 2, 2023.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Another Council run by Anderson-Oberman may test how far progressive momentum can go in Philadelphia. He was a member of the Communist Party USA in his 20s, and has said he is proud of that experience.
Bass, 58, said she is ready for the race no matter who her opponent is.
In June, she survived a contentious fight for another four-year term as Democratic leader of Mount Airy’s 22nd Ward. She was criticized for her handling of the process, and the party ordered a redo of the election.
She and her progressive opponent, Octavius Price, tied, then struck a power-sharing agreement. Through it all, Bass said, longtime residents stuck by her — and she is confident voters will do the same next year.
“My voters are people who are based in this community, committed to this community, intend to stay in the communities that they are in,” she said.
City Councilmember Cindy Bass (center) attends the watch party for Democratic candidate for mayor Cherelle L. Parker at Laborers 332 in Philadelphia on May 16, 2023.Heather Khalifa / Staff Photographer
Jeff Jones, a community leader and social justice advocate from Germantown, has also said he intends to run in the 8th District.
“I want to bring that new vision and a new voice to the 8th District, where residents and children and families can know that their voice matters, their concerns will be heard, and their challenges will be met,” said Jones, 61, a first-time political candidate.
Squilla could see a lefty challenger
Leftists are also eying Squilla’s seat, which represents the area along the Delaware River from Pennsport to Kensington. Since Squilla took office in 2012, the district has transformed from a bastion of working-class white voters to one of the most progressive swaths of the city.
Squilla, 63, who has strong labor ties and is one of the most pro-development district Council members, said being a centrist has likely put a target on his back in the 2027 election.
Another contributing factor may be Squilla’s support for controversial legislation in 2024 to approve the 76ers’ since-abandoned plan to build a new arena in Center City. The project, which would have been in Squilla’s 1st District, was opposed by advocates for Chinatown, which the arena would havebordered.
Councilmember Mark Squilla arrives in Council chambers on Nov. 12, 2024, before the start of a public hearing on a proposed Sixers arena.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
Despite the fierce objections, Council approved the project with Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s support in December 2024. Weeks later, the basketball team announced it was abandoning its Center City plan and would instead build its next arena in South Philly.
Squilla said he is prepared to defend his actions, noting that he worked to ensure any arena deal would benefit his district and that many of those promises are moving forward despite the 76ers withdrawing their proposal.
“The goal as an elected official, and also as a leader, is not always to make the popular decision,” he said. “The goal is to have a process to make the decision that would be best for the people around it.”
One prominent opponent of the Center City arena plan was Will Gross, the owner of Ox Coffee in Queen Village and a progressive who is the Democratic leader of the 2nd Ward. He is seen by political insiders and progressive organizations as the most likely candidate to take on Squilla.
Gross declined to comment.
In this 2023 file photo, Will Gross and Kay Yoon, of the No Arena in Chinatown group, deliver petitions to Councilmember Mark Squilla. Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
A progressive challenger may also emerge in the North Philly and Kensington-based 7th District, which is represented by Councilmember Quetcy Lozada.
Some insiders have speculated that Celin may run again. He declined to comment.
Lozada, 55, said she “can’t focus” on potential challengers.
“If I spend my time listening to the buzz about who is running,” she said, “we won’t get any work done.”
A battle takes shape in the 5th District
In the 5th District, a seat that represents parts of North Philadelphia and Center City, a handful of Democratic challengers are lining up to take on Young, 40, who is seen as one of Council’s most vulnerable members.
That is in part because of the unusual way in which he was elected in 2023. He ended up being the only Democrat on the ballot after several others, including party officials’ preferred candidates, were removed amid legal challenges.
Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. in chambers as City Council meets Dec. 11, 2025.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
One of those candidates was Curtis Wilkerson, who was chief of staff to former City Council President Darrell L. Clarke. Two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the campaign dynamics, said Wilkerson is considering running for the seat again next year.He did not respond to a request for comment.
Also likely to run is Jalon Alexander, an attorney who unsuccessfully ran for an at-large seat on Council in 2023. Alexander, 33, formed an exploratory committee last year and is expected to formally declare his candidacy later this summer.
Two others are also considering running.
Dustin Dove, a lawyer and the president of the Fairmount Civic Association, said neighbors and community leaders have encouraged him to get in the Council race, and he is “taking the possibility of running seriously.”
“I think our city government should work for everyone by keeping our neighborhoods safe and streets walkable, making housing affordable, and ensuring fairness and access in public services,” Dove, 38, said last week.
Jalon Alexander, an attorney and community advocate, speaks to attendees at a meeting about potential SEPTA budget cuts hosted at Garden of Prayer Church in Strawberry Mansion on June 9, 2025.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
And Max Tuttleman, 37, a philanthropist who unsuccessfully ran for an at-large seat in 2023, said he “cares deeply about the 5th District and would never close the door to serving Philadelphia.”
He added that “Center City and the neighborhoods around it should be growing faster than they are.”
Young said in an interview last weekthat he intends to run for reelection, but that challengers are not his focus.
“I‘m focused on serving my constituency, serving my community,” he said. “The work that we’ve been doing will hopefully earn the support of the residents of the 5th District.”
A smaller, but competitive, at-large field
Over the last several election cycles, dozens of candidates lined up to run for at-large seats during a time of immense turnover in Council.
But with seven incumbents all looking toward reelection in 2027, there may be fewer challengers who line up to take them on. So far, only Golden and a handful of others have emerged as possible contenders.
David Alexander Jenkins, a cultural strategist known for delivering impassioned speeches during Council’s public comment section, said he is considering a run, encouraged by fellow community members.
“When the community that is around you constantly pushes you to intercede on their behalf, then it’s because they have trusted you to do what it is that you do best,” Jenkins, 39, said. “I think it would be incredibly unwise to ignore that.”
And Jude Husein, 28, a Palestinian-born community activist who was raised in North Philly, has already launched her campaign. If her bid is successful, Husein, a former staffer for State Sen. Art Haywood, would be the first member of Gen Z on Council.
In this 2023 file photo, Jude Husein, of North Philadelphia, speaks at a rally for a Day of Solidarity event at the Art Museum steps.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Leaders of progressive organizations said they are closely watching her candidacy. However, Husein is not exactly running as a leftist. She said that her policy positions are varied and that she will seek endorsements from any institution that is “values-aligned.”
“I’m running because I think government should work for the people who pay for it, and should make neighborhoods affordable and safer,” she said.
Also in the running for Council at-large seats are Billy McCann, 46, a former teacher who lives in Port Richmond, and Isaiah T. Martin, 26, who lives in West Philly and leads a community development nonprofit. The pair, who both said they are progressive, have established something of a slate with Jones, who is challenging Bass in the 8th District.
They said they would prioritize public education, affordability, housing assistance, and government accountability, and they argued that establishment Democrats are failing to connect with voters.
“A new day is coming,” said Martin, another member of Gen Z who would make history on Council if elected. “It’s time we get people who are going to do the actual work and not just sit here and talk about it.”
I’ve driven across the Ben Franklin Bridge countless times but until last week I’d never walked across it, and I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge once, so I’ve quietly carried that shame with me for years.
When I received a news release about the bridge turning 100 on July 1 and a subsequent anniversary party on July 11 that will close it to vehicles for public use for the first time since Pope Francis’ visit in 2015, I wanted to finally check walking across it off my Philly bucket list before the event.
Fans cross the Ben Franklin Bridge into Philadelphia on the morning of the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade in 2018.TIM TAI / Staff Photographer
I was going to go it alone, but I decided to reach out to Mike Williams, spokesperson for the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), which manages the bridge, and he offered to schedule a walkway tour of it for me with DRPA principal engineer Michael Howard.
I met both men at Fifth and Race Streets at the base of the bridge on the Philly side, but as luck would have it, we showed up on opposite sides of the heavily-trafficked span. We waved at each other across the cars and as I tried to figure out how to Frogger my way over to them, Howard and Williams disappeared.
The men popped up out of a stairwell right next to me, having used the Fifth Street pedestrian tunnel under the bridge.
The entrance to the Fifth Street pedestrian tunnel on the south side of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia.Stephanie Farr / Staff
“This was one of the original things that we incorporated into the bridge because we didn’t want people to try to walk across the traffic — because they would, you know,” Howard said, and I agreed.
Obviously, it was the first place I wanted to check out.
The “Building Connections through Time” mural inside of the Fifth Street pedestrian tunnel on the Philadelphia side of the Ben Franklin Bridge.Stephanie Farr / Staff
The entire length of the 91-foot-long tunnel was painted with a vibrant Mural Arts Philadelphia work by Brad Carney and Melissa Mandel. Created in 2018, Building Connections through Time shows people using the bridge, the building of it, and images of its early years. There are also paintings of Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin, and other bridges that span the Delaware River.
Finding one of the city’s most secluded murals felt like finding one of those wonderful Philly secrets the city gives sometimes, if you never stop exploring it.
Come along with me as I explore one of Philly’s most secluded murals.
Back on the surface, Howard said that while the bridge has two pedestrian walkways, for operational reasons, only one side is open at a time and it’s usually the south side. The walkway has restricted hours, so be sure to check the signs (currently, it’s open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.).
Howard pointed out the old Wilbur Chocolate factory on Third Street and explained that a part was sliced off to make way for the bridge.
“One of the things that we had to do when we were constructing was kind of take a surgeon’s scalpel to the area because you know with Old City, everything’s tightly packed and we wanted to make sure we took the bare minimum of structures,” he said.
A piece of the former Wilbur’s Chocolate Factory had to be sliced off to make way for the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.Stephanie Farr / Staff
Also under threat when the bridge was built was nearby St. George’s United Methodist Church on Fourth Street. Opened in 1769, it’s the country’s oldest Methodist church in continuous service.
“Luckily, the engineers were able to just adjust the angle of the approach ever so slightly to avoid encountering the building,” Howard said.
I marveled as I looked at the mere 14 feet that still separates St. George’s from Philly’s big Ben. The engineers left just enough room for the Holy Spirit.
‘Bridge angels’
As we began our journey across the bridge, Howard said it took about four-and-a-half years to build and it was designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret, who also designed Philly’s Rodin Museum. The bridge was constructed with eight lanes — six for traffic and two for trolleys, as well as two tracks for heavy rail.
But in the time it took to build it, trolleys went out of fashion and buses came in. The trolley tracks sat unused until the 1940s, when they were paved over. A vast, empty space for a never-opened trolley station remains under the Bolt of Lightning sculpture near the base of the bridge.
Sailboats pass under the Ben Franklin Bridge in 2020.TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Another original component lost when the trolley tracks were paved over were four 75-foot-tall pylons — two on either side of the bridge — that were topped with bronze angel statues called Winged Victory.
One of the angel statues is in the lobby of DRPA’s headquarters and three are in storage, but one will be displayed at the upcoming 100th anniversary celebration, according to Williams.
One of the four “Winged Victory” statues that used to decorate the Ben Franklin Bridge is now on display at the Delaware River Port Authority’s headquarters.Courtesy of the Delaware River Port Authority
‘A living beast’
Shortly after we began our trek on the 1.3-mile walkway, I felt a PATCO train speeding beneath my feet and the bridge move ever so slightly.
“The bridge is dynamic, almost like a living beast because the steel expands when it gets warm out and with traffic, it bounces,” Howard said.
A PATCO train travels from Philadelphia to Camden underneath the pedestrian walkway of the Ben Franklin Bridge. ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer
I got used to the sensations within minutes. That being said, I’m not afraid of heights. It could be unnerving if you are.
It took $36 million and 1,300 people to build the 376-foot-tall bridge that extends an additional 100 feet or so below the river, Howard said. Guys known as “sand hogs” worked in submerged watertight structures called caissons where temps sweltered into the 90s, even in winter, to dig down to the bedrock of the Delaware River.
In a photo dated 1922, men known as “sand hogs” work in a submerged watertight structure called a caisson to dig down to the bedrock of the Delaware River during the construction of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.Courtesy of the Delaware River Port Authority
Fifteen workers died in the construction of the bridge. We passed a circular plaque in their memory as we walked. I wondered who they were, how they died, and how they lived.
“Unfortunately, the rule of thumb at the time was for every million dollars you’re spending, you expect to lose a life … so by that rationale you could have had 36 fatalities.” Howard said. “Nowadays, you know, one injury is unacceptable.”
A plaque on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is dedicated in memory of those who lost their lives while building it.Stephanie Farr / Staff
Unique elements
Our pace was a steady stroll, so we were often passed by runners, walkers, and cyclists. Some appeared to be having a good time, and others looked like they were going through tough times. Some talked to themselves and some stopped to take photos. It was a microcosm of Philly and Camden, suspended high above the river.
Howard said when the bridge was built, its chief engineer believed the walkways wouldn’t be used “in an increasingly or completely motorized age.”
A photo dating from 1924 shows the first official crossing of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge’s pedestrian walkway prior to the 1926 opening of the bridge.Courtesy of the Delaware River Port Authority
“But you see today the amount of people that are using this walkway and it’s one of the unique elements of this bridge,” he said.
I looked ahead to Camden and then back to Philly. I was so grateful for this walkway and this view. I couldn’t imagine not having it and I couldn’t believe it took me so long to see the city from this new perspective.
Spectators watch from the Ben Franklin Bridge pedestrian walkway as the Picton Castle sails up the Delaware River in 2015 during the Parade of Tall Ships.
The only thing I found worrisome and the thing that kept all three of us looking over our shoulders, were the e-bike and e-scooter riders we didn’t always hear zooming behind us. Skateboards and rollerblades aren’t allowed, but certain classes of e-bikes and e-scooters are. Gas-powered vehicles are also prohibited on the walkway, but a guy on a dirt bike definitely zoomed by at one point.
In the bridge’s early days, horses and carriages were allowed on the main span alongside cars, according to Howard, but their slow pace proved dangerous and their excrement, troublesome, so they were banned in the 1940s.
A rainbow appears behind the Camden anchorage of the Ben Franklin Bridge after an early evening rainstorm passes through.TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
We stopped at one of the Philadelphia anchorages, the massive concrete-and-granite structures where the bridge’s cables are anchored.
These structures were made to house elevators for the trolleys. Alas, the anchorages are off-limits spaces, but Howard told me that each of the four have the same seven artistic tiles inside commemorating milestones in transportation, from one of a Conestoga wagon to one of the USS Shenandoah, the ill-fated dirigible that crashed before the bridge even opened.
One of the anchorages on the Philadelphia side of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge as seen from the pedestrian walkway.Stephanie Farr / Staff
Another name
The Ben Franklin Bridge was the longest suspension span in the world, with a distance of 1,750 feet between the two towers, when it opened on July 1, 1926.
In a front-page Inquirer report, journalist Richard J. Beamish noted 250,000 people crossed the bridge on foot opening day and that the structure was “beautiful as gossamer web and seemingly as frail.”
Pedestrian cross the Delaware River Bridge on its opening day in 1926. Philadelphia Inquirer archive
Howard, who quoted that report to me, then asked: “When do you think our first accident was?”
I guessed July 2, 1926. I guessed wrong.
“It was the day it opened,” he said. “People were jockeying to be one of the first to cross the bridge, and over in Camden, you had a fender bender.”
Back then, the span also had a different name — the Delaware River Bridge. It was rechristened in 1956 to avoid confusion when the Walt Whitman Bridge was also built over the Delaware River.
A view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the 1950s.Courtesy of the Delaware River Port Authority
The Ben Franklin Bridge wasn’t always blue, either. It was originally gray and was repainted to its current color just ahead of the Bicentennial, Howard said.
‘Calm and serene’
As we stood talking, a man jogging by in Rocky Run T-shirt asked if we’d take a photo of him with the Philly skyline.
Jim Bach of Voorhees works in Camden and likes to run the bridge during his lunch break.
“It’s fantastic. I mean the views that you get when you’re up here, it’s just calm and serene,” he said.
I too felt serene. It was quiet and peaceful on the bridge and being atop it helped me see the city I love in a new way.
A jogger runs across the Ben Franklin Bridge in an Inquirer file photo.TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
Howard also helped me to see something else — the Betsy Ross, Walt Whitman, and Commodore Barry Bridges are all visible from the top of the Ben Franklin.
“All bridges essentially become monuments to the area,” he said. This was most true of the one we were standing on.
We talked about the Ben Franklin’s many appearances in television and movies, from Blow Out to 12 Monkeys.
The sun sets behind the Ben Franklin Bridge, seen from Cooper’s Poynt Park on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Camden, NJ.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“Last year they kept coming back from commercial breaks during Monday Night Football and they showed one of three things — the Liberty Bell, someone making cheesesteaks, or the bridge,” Howard said.
In its 100 years, the bridge has become a visual touchstone for the region. You see it and you know you’re in Philly, whether you’re watching a movie or coming back from a road trip. It’s given Philly its sense of place as much as the LOVE sculpture or Independence Hall.
A great connector
When we got to Camden, we walked through the pedestrian tunnel on that end, too. It doesn’t have a mural, but the exterior is decorated with a bright mosaic of birds and animals created by Camden schoolchildren in the early 2000s.
A mosaic created by Camden schoolchildren decorates the exterior of the pedestrian tunnel on the Camden side of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.Stephanie Farr / Staff
On our return walk, I asked Howard if he had a moment on the bridge that’s stuck with him. He said a few years ago, while he was leading a tour, there was a commotion on the Philly side. A kitten found its way onto the bridge and police were called. The feline then crawled into the engine compartment of a police cruiser, which had to be taken apart to get it freed.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, so I gotta go adopt it,’” Howard said.
And so he did, and he named the furry little girl Beanie.
I thought of a poignant moment I had once on the bridge. I was a passenger in a vehicle years ago, when I looked over and saw that the car I was in was traveling at relatively the same speed as the PATCO train next to us.
The sun sets over the Philadelphia Skyline behind the Benjamin Franklin Bridge looking southwest from Cooper’s Point Waterfront Park in Camden in this Inquirer file photo.Tom Gralish
I locked eyes with a woman on the train, who looked a lot like me. We smiled at each other and I waved and she waved back. It’s a brief moment that’s always stuck with me. Maybe it’s because I felt like I could have been her in another life, or she could have been me.
Walking the bridge and hearing its stories, I realized that it connects so much more than just Camden and Philly. It connects all of us to each other — in big and small ways — and it connects our future with our history.
Today, I have a new story about the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the day I walked across it. If you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to walk it, too, and make a new memory with one of Philadelphia’s great old structures.
A man walks across the Ben Franklin Bridge towards Camden in an Inquirer file photo.ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer
The anniversary celebration for the Ben Franklin Bridge will take place from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 11. Details can be found at drpa.org/bfb100/.
In past years, the city’s budget process has followed a certain pattern for Mural Arts Philadelphia and other groups.
The mayor’s proposed budget lists city funding at one level; City Council and others advocate for modifications at a higher level; and the budget goes back to the mayor and is finalized with the higher allocation in place.
This year was different.
Philadelphia’s nationally acclaimed program that puts colorful murals in neighborhoods and provides jobs was hoping for a boost in city funding.
Instead, the budget ultimately agreed to by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration and City Council cut funding to Mural Arts — from $5.1 million in fiscal year 2026 to $3.7 million in 2027.
Likewise the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. The group — which awards hundreds of grants to arts groups throughout the neighborhoods — was looking for increased funding in the city’s newly approved $7.1 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
But the arts nonprofit, established by the city recently, learned that it will get substantially less — $3.5 million instead of the $5 million it received from the city for the fiscal year now ending.
As a result, both groups say they will have to make deep cuts to programs.
Philadelphia’s arts and culture sector had greeted the start of Parker’s term 2½ years ago with optimism for increased funding. Today, it is “alarmed” by the cuts to Mural Arts and the Cultural Fund, said Patricia Wilson Aden, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.
“We always say that your budget tells a story, and I have to say that the cultural community is disappointed and frustrated with the story being told by this FY27 budget,” she said. “Cutting the budget of signature programs like Mural Arts by 26% or decreasing funding to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, that’s going to have ramifications throughout the city.”
Parker was not available for comment, a spokesperson said.
Valerie V. Gay (left) chief cultural officer with the City’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, and finance director Rob Dubow (right) testify at a Philadelphia City Council hearing, Aug. 8, 2024 on the collapse of the University of the Arts.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Valerie V. Gay, the city’s chief cultural officer, said it was the city’s view that funding for the two groups had remained flat from 2026 to 2027, since the base allocation stayed the same and it was only the added amount that did not come through — though she allowed that “absolutely I can see how it can be perceived.”
A ripple effect
The resulting cuts at both groups promise to be substantial. The Cultural Fund will be forced to reduce the number of grants it had been expecting to distribute in the coming year, from 332 to 232. It has changed its eligibility requirements, which will eliminate grants to a pool of midsize organizations currently eligible.
“It’s going to be a ripple effect. People are going to feel it and communities are going to feel it,” said Philadelphia Cultural Fund executive director Gabriela Sanchez.
“An investment in the Philadelphia Cultural Fund is more than a budget line item,” Sanchez wrote in a statement distributed by the group. “Funding to PCF represents how the city values neighborhood theaters, cultural centers, museums, arts education programs, festivals, dance companies, community storytelling initiatives, music programs, and cultural traditions that bring Philadelphians together. These spaces are where young people discover their creativity, where seniors find connection, where communities celebrate their heritage, and where residents gather across lines of difference.”
Jane Golden (center right) speaks with press at the Wawa Welcome America media preview for the Philly Fair 250, outside the Please Touch Museum in West Philadelphia, June 18, 2026. Mural Arts held a ceremonial unveiling of a 10-story-high mural replica, originally titled ‘CityKids Speak On Liberty,’ and created by Keith Haring.
Mural Arts director Jane Golden declined to comment, but an initial assessment from the group obtained by The Inquirer says that “hundreds of residents in at least 15 Philadelphia communities will lose the opportunity to develop public art projects,” and that opportunities for paid work, job training, and mentorship through the Mural Arts Restorative Justice program will be reduced by 25%.
Mural Arts will also have to cut by 75% its program of restoring and preserving the city’s murals, “putting at risk community landmarks that took years and significant public investment to create,” the impact statement reads.
Of the program reductions at both groups, Gay said: “I am always sad that any cuts are made or that any organizations are unable to do the work they thought they were going to be able to do. That’s always a sad time for us, and I’m looking forward to when we are a fully funded sector.”
A city spokesperson was unable to provide a full list of groups that in past years had received higher allocations after advocacy from City Council and others, but this year did not.
What’s behind the cuts
Aden says arts and culture has seen some significant recent “wins” from city government. Among them is the advancement of a referendum that, if approved by the mayor and then by voters this fall, would enshrine the city’s office of arts and culture, called Creative Philadelphia, in the City Charter.
The city has approved $500,000 a year to develop and implement a cultural plan for Philadelphia that would document financial needs and could identify potential pathways to establishing funding.
The ‘Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design’ exhibition at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Nov. 1, 2025.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Sometimes the city’s support is for regular operations, and other times it is for specific capital projects. In an unusually large commitment, the city has pledged $50 million to the African American Museum in Philadelphia for its relocation to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The city is providing nearly $32.5 million to arts and culture in FY27, according to a list provided by Parker’s office. While that total includes small items that might seem mundane — paying utility bills at various facilities, for instance — it also shows multimillion-dollar allocations to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dell Music Center, and Philadelphia Zoo.
But the arts and culture sector often finds itself fighting for adequate funding in the annual budget process. Arts leaders and others say it has been standard practice in recent memory that funding is listed at one level in the mayor’s proposed budget and after City Council testimony in budget hearings ends up being higher.
This year, the mayor “could have funded [the arts] at a higher amount,” as she did last year, but did not do so, Councilmember Rue Landau said.
The cuts came after a budget that passed without a series of tax increases proposed by Parker, including a $1 tax on rideshare services, after failing to win support from City Council. After Council signaled it would reject Parker’s tax proposals, the administration would not agree to any last-minute line items for new funding requests from lawmakers.
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, a consistent arts supporter who, like Landau, is an ex-officio Mural Arts board member, said that with the lack of new tax revenue and the city’s extra allocation of $48 million to cover the Philadelphia School District’s budget shortfall, the funding pie for other allocations got smaller.
“This budget year, a lot of attention and advocacy went toward schools,” Thomas said. The funding cuts to Mural Arts and the Cultural Fund were “extremely unfortunate,” he said, “and I wish we could have done something different.”
The need for ‘predictable, stable, reliable’ funding for the arts
While the city’s budget is now final, there is another potential window of opportunity for funding through a midyear budget transfer process in which the city might see expenditures in certain areas coming in lower than expected, and then transfer money from those categories to other areas.
Asked whether funds might be restored through a budget transfer to Mural Arts or the Cultural Fund, Gay said:
“I think anything is on the table, but I also think nothing is guaranteed.”
Patricia Wilson Aden, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, at S. Broad Street and Walnut along the Avenue of the Arts, Feb. 15, 2023.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
Any restoration of funds would happen after arts groups have already put cuts in place, and this kind of unpredictability “makes planning by these organizations very, very difficult,” Aden said.
“The practice of underfunding the arts and having Council and other entities have to go on an advocacy campaign to increase funding is illogical,” Landau said. “It is clear as day that we should be supporting the arts with additional funding every single year, so we don’t have to go through this and it won’t ever be a question mark for them.”
What is really needed, Aden said, is a dedicated arts fund in Philadelphia and the region.
“We’ve seen other regions benefit from this predictable, stable, reliable funding. And instead, here in Philadelphia, each year we have this conversation about increases and decreases and their impact. We are sometimes left to the will and whim of elected officials, and we would like to take the creative economy out of the political realm and put it solidly within our larger civic interest, so that it is stable and has the investment that is required to reach its full potential.”
Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.
Danny Simmons, founder of Rush Arts Philadelphia, an arts community that provided space and motivation for local artists to be discovered and show their work, has died at 72. The cause of death was not announced.
Mr. Simmons was the older brother to hip-hop mogul and Def Jam Recordings cofounder Russell Simmons and Rev. Joseph “Run” Simmons, one-half of the classic rap group Run-DMC.
Mr. Simmons’ death was announced Monday by his brother Russell on Instagram.
“It is with a profound sense of loss that we honor and celebrate the life of Danny Simmons Jr., a beacon of love and creativity,” Russell Simmons wrote on the social media post.
“He was not just a brother, father, uncle, grandfather, and loving husband; he was a vibrant artist, dedicated supporter of creatives and a cherished friend. Though he has transitioned from this world, his legacy of kindness, generosity, and artistic brilliance will forever shine brightly in our hearts.”
Daniel Simmons Jr. was born on Aug. 17, 1953, in Hollis, Queens. His father, Daniel Simmons Sr., was a truant officer and Black history professor who also wrote poetry. His mother, Evelyn Simmons, was a teacher who painted as a hobby.
Both of his parents encouraged Mr. Simmons’ art but also pushed him to work a stable job with a pension. After receiving his degree in social work from NYU, he worked at the New York Bureau of Child Support through the 1980s.
“He was the true artist in the family,” Russell Simmons said in a subsequent social media post. “Joey and I went into music … but Danny was the one who created from the deepest place. His poetry, art, and ideas shaped how we think and gave us freedom to dream beyond limits.”
In 2003, Simon & Schuster published Mr. Simmons’ Three Days as the Crow Flies, a novel about a drug-addict hustler named Crow Shade, who poses as an artist in New York’s drug and arts scene.
Three Days as the Crow Flies is fictional, but by the 1990s, Mr. Simmons had kicked a 20-year heroin addiction, given up his 9-to-5, and leaned into abstract painting.
“I quit my job, started painting, and it started taking off,” he told The Inquirer in 2016. “But I couldn’t find a whole lot of outlets for my work. There were very few galleries dedicated to emerging Black artists. I figured if I was in that position, there had to be other artists in that position.”
Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons (left), Danny Simmons (center), and Russell Simmons attend the 12th annual Art For Life Benefit Gala at Russell Simmons’ estate in East Hampton, N.Y., on Saturday, July 30, 2011.
(Charles Sykes / AP Images for Rush Philanthropic)AP IMAGES FOR RUSH PHILANTHROPIC
Mr. Simmons became an avid collector of Black art, opened two galleries in downtown Manhattan, and founded Rush Philanthropic Arts Organization, supporting Black artists around the world.
“Danny’s impact has been global,” said Vashti DuBois, executive director of the Colored Girls Museum in Philadelphia. “His investments in and support of Black artists and Black institutions have fundamentally transformed the landscape of the Black art scene.”
In the early 2000s, Mr. Simmons convinced his brother Russell to produce HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. The show, a spinoff of HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, ran from 2002 to 2007 and breathed new life into spoken word poetry, first popularized by the 1970s Black Arts movement.
A prototype of Def Poetry Jam, that often showcased Philly artists Sonia Sánchez and Ursula Rucker, was filmed at the African American Museum in Philadelphia.
Mr. Simmons won a Tony for the stage adaption in 2003.
Danny Simmons speaking at a Mural Arts Philadelphia event to unveil the 2023 mural, “My Crazy Red Rooster.”Mural Arts
In 2015, the African American Museum hosted his solo show, “Badass Art, Man!” a colorful collection of paintings, collages, and statues he described as “neo-African abstract expressionist.”
Later that year, he moved to Northern Liberties, because it reminded him of parts of Brooklyn, into a place with a backyard large enough to store his immense collections.
He purchased an old bank building in the Logan section of Philadelphia on Old York Road and made it a home for Rush Arts Philadelphia, a community center and gallery. Until last month, the center supported the work of Philadelphia artists through a series of shows, exhibitions, and receptions.
“Mr. Simmons had a remarkable ability to bring people together through art, inspiring others to see the world through a more vibrant lens,” said Ashley Jordan, president and CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia. “His presence was as memorable as the masterpieces he created and championed.”
Mr. Simmons served on the Mural Arts board from 2022-25 and was the lead artist on four mural projects in Germantown and North Philadelphia.
His work resides in the Woodmere Art Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In 2019, he was appointed to the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s African American Collections Committee.
“Danny was an extraordinary artist and human being,” said Jane Golden, founder and executive director of Mural Arts. “Danny was one of a kind, and he leaves very big shoes to fill in our city and our world.”
Apart from his brothers, Mr. Simmons is survived by his wife, Keia Simmons; son, Jamel Simmons; and other family members and friends.
Memorial services and celebrations have not been announced by the family.
For Jane Golden, founder and executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, city life is like a large quilt.
The fabric of Philadelphia, she said, is pieced together by the people and communities that make up the region, and public art is the thread that best illuminates its beauty.
Every time Golden steps outside her home in Spring Garden, she’s reminded of its impact and grandeur. “I pay attention to all the stories our city has to tell, and the way art can help us see each other differently,” she said.
Jane Golden, Mural Arts Philadelphia, speaks at the Bells Across PA event in celebration of America’s 250th Birthday in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Next month, Golden will be moving into less familiar terrain.
After 30 years building Mural Arts into an international arts organization, the Fairmount resident is stepping down as executive director. The search for her successor is already underway.
For now, Golden is focused on rolling out Mural Arts’ Semiquincentennial plans, and is still carving out time to hunt for new walls in need of a makeover.
“I can’t help myself,” she joked.
In a perfect Philly day, Golden visits iconic murals, grabs dinner in Chinatown, and checks out new exhibitions sprawled throughout the city.
Jane Golden, Executive Director for Mural Arts Philadelphia, speaks at the announcement for the 52 Weeks of Firsts at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
6 a.m.
I’m always an early riser, so I wake up at 5 a.m. and walk my dog, Cleo.
Sometimes I sleep until 7 a.m., but that’s a luxury. My cat Bella is one of the reasons I get up so early. She will take her paw, and go up and down on the blinds in my bedroom to get me up, or purr really loudly by my head. That’s better than an alarm.
8 a.m.
I walk from my place to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I like to push myself, so I walk up the Rocky Steps and around the museum because I think it’s really pretty. Then I come back down by the Rodin Museum, and then we go to Twisted Grounds for coffee and a pastry because I have a sweet tooth.
If me and my husband Tony are really feeling energetic, we walk up to Lemon Hill.
10 a.m.
Tony and I go to Bartram’s Garden and walk around. I go to where FloatLab is at 56th Street, and if anybody is standing around, I tell them it’s there. And if we are energized, we will kayak. I’m always a little bit like the caboose, but he’s a good kayaker.
Jane Golden, artistic director of the Anti-Graffiti Network, works on a four-story mural with the help of Haisonn Shadding high above the Schuylkill Expressway near the zoo exit. Photo from March 25, 1994Andrea Mihalik
Noon
For lunch, I go to Frieda in Old City. I like Frieda because there are artists’ events there, and there’s always really interesting art on display. It’s good food, but also a delightful environment.
1:30 p.m.
Then I walk through Old City because wherever I am, I always like to check out great walls, murals, or murals in process.
At around 3 p.m., I’m going to Fishtown. There’s a new mural I have to see by Miriam Singer on the side of Mural City Cellars. They are great partners of Mural Arts. Then I’m going to walk over to 25 Oxford St. to see the new Matthew Henning mural because that’s fantastic. It’s joyful and captures the spirit of Fishtown.
Then I go to Cake Life Bake Shop. It has delicious sweets, and then I’m going to look at the mural there that’s a tribute to the trans community called We Are Universal by Kah Yangni.
3:30 p.m.
Next, I’m going back to PMA to see Paul Farber’s “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments” exhibition. I will zip through it because I’ve seen it a few times, but I want to see it a few more times before it goes away.
Then I’ll go to the painting created by the artists at the State Correctional Institution – Phoenix. There used to be a three-story mural of Bernard Hopkins at SCI Graterford. But after SCI Graterford closed, we weren’t able to recreate it at SCI Phoenix because it’s a very different prison. So, we had the men recreate it, and now it’s on display at PMA with all their names listed, which is great. I look at that and get really inspired.
4 p.m.
I walk down the Parkway, and walk around the Swann Memorial Fountain. It’s just lovely. Then, I’ll slow up to look at the wall of the Sheraton, where we’re going to have a mural there soon. It’s a good wall.
Jane Golden, founder and executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, takes the stage during the dedication of the Super Bowl LIX mural at Spike’s Trophies on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 in Philadelphia. The mural is an addition to the existing City of Champions mural series by David McShane.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
I always cheer people on who give work and opportunity to artists, and she commissioned like 100 artists to do work at [Ministry of Awe]. I just love the fact that I’ve seen her career grow and thrive, and now she’s running an institution.
8:30 p.m.
Oh, and because I still like sweets, I’m going over to Franklin Fountain for ice cream.
9 p.m.
At around 9 p.m., I’ll go home to watch British mystery movies and series like Karen Pirie and Broadchurch with my husband.
The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
After first-time homebuyer Brendan McCreath settled into his Bella Vista rowhouse last spring, his first priority was contacting Mural Arts Philadelphia.
During the closing process, he had learned that the previous owner had agreed to let an artist paint a mural on the house, butwithdrew her support. McCreath wanted to revive the plan.
“I love that Philly is just loaded with murals,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”
In a city internationally known for murals, roughly 1,000 are on private homes through partnerships with Mural Arts. Homeowners don’t have to go through the organization to put a mural on their house. But if they do, Mural Arts covers the costs of preparing the wall, installing the piece, and maintaining the mural.
“We appreciate homeowners so much who really hold art in esteem and are thinking not just about their house but about the communal effect the art will have on the city,” said Jane Golden, founder and executive director of Mural Arts. “Murals become part of our collective identity.”
Homeowner Brendan McCreath captured photos of artist Michelle Angela Ortiz’s mural as it was installed last year.Brendan McCreath
Artists plan murals in collaboration with homeowners and neighbors. Some paint directly onto walls, but most now paint on large sections of cloth and piece them together later on surfaces, Golden said.
She estimates the wait list for artwork through Mural Arts is close to a thousand strong. In Philadelphia, “people 100% absolutely love public art,” she said.
The city gets about a hundred new works per year through Mural Arts. Pitches come from the wait list as well as artists, Mural Arts staff, city officials, and funders.
But the city also loses murals to development and demolitions. Mural Arts tries to stay away from vulnerable sites, including those next to vacant lots.
Lack of funding is usually what prevents Mural Arts from doing more work, Golden said. But sometimes, artists just need walls. The organization has an official “wall hunter” who scouts potential locations. The job has gotten harder, as more properties are owned by limited liability companies (LLCs), and tracking down humans who can give permission for murals is difficult.
Bella Vista homeowner John Del Rossi gave an immediate “yes” when Mural Arts approached him.
“I can’t imagine anybody saying, ‘No, don’t put this beautiful mural on my wall. Leave it blank and ugly,’” he said.
The Inquirer asked six homeowners why they wanted their properties to join Philadelphia’s rich tapestry of murals.
Brendan McCreath looks at the mural painted on the side of his rowhouse.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Sometimes, McCreath will spot people gazing at the mural and stop to gaze with them. Then he’ll take out his keys and walk through the door behind it.
“There’s many people who will stop dead in their tracks and take a photo of the side of my house,” he said. “It’s such an open wall out to Ninth Street. It truly feels like the perfect placement for a mural.”
Creator Michelle Angela Ortiz makes art nationally and internationally, and turned to other projects when the mural fell through. But she was disappointed. She was born and raised on this block of League Street, and her parents still live there. Ortiz had wanted to paint a mural “at home” in her neighborhood.
So when McCreath revived plans for the mural, she was ecstatic.
Brendan McCreath poses for a portrait outside his home.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
The work is part of the Our Market Project that Ortiz created six years ago to broaden the narrative of what has become known as the Italian Market and honor the people from different backgrounds who make the market on South Ninth Street what it is.
“What we do in the market is not just sell things. We take care of one another,” Ortiz said. “We raise our families. We bring our culture. We bring our values and our spirit to the market.”
In the mural, which she painted directly onto McCreath’s wall, she highlights stories of neighbors with ties to the market. The center image is of a Mexican immigrant named Gabriel who works at Tran’s Produce, owned by Vietnamese immigrants. The mural includes a poem by Alice Harrison, a longtime market worker and the daughter of Holocaust survivors, who also lives on League Street.
Ortiz said her Our Market Project is “my love letter to my community, but also a way to pay homage and honor to my mother, who is an immigrant from Colombia and work[ed] at Giordano’s for 25 years.”
This mural by Phillip Adams pays tribute to Baldwin Locomotive Works and the Lenape.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
If you stare at the mural of a train on North 20th Street and think you hear a faint whistle, you’re not imagining things. Homeowner Susan Freeland likes to blow a train whistle when she sees the mural getting attention.
“Many people remark that it actually looks like the train is coming toward you, because it looks larger than life,” she said.
Freeland and her husband owned their house for a few years before she called Mural Arts about their “ugly, empty” wall. It was visibly lumpy from when the neighboring house was torn down.
“You would never know that to see the mural on it,” she said.
About six months after Freeland’s call, Mural Arts called back. That led to meetings with nearby neighbors and artist Phillip Adams. The mural stalled when neighbors said they didn’t like Adams’ first idea for a still-life painting.
His second idea, Freeland said, “really spoke more to explaining what used to be in the area right where we live.” It pays tribute to Baldwin Locomotive Works, once the world’s most successful builder of steam locomotives, and the Lenape, who once lived on the land.
For Freeland and her husband, having the mural on the house “makes us feel very special indeed.”
Homeowners Sara and Clark DeLeon (left) and their granddaughter Lucy Metzker (right) pose in front of their mural with artist Sammy Kovnat (center).Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Sara DeLeon was persistent. She kept calling to check on her 2016 application for a mural through Mural Arts. For years, she stayed on the wait list.
“My husband and I, we just kept believing that one day, the right mural would be up on our wall, and the right artist would choose our wall,” she said.
In 2024, Sara and her husband, Clark, finally got the call they’d been hoping for. Artist Sammy Kovnat needed a wall after another one fell through when a neighbor refused to make space for the installation process.
“We feel very lucky that she chose us,” DeLeon said.
Three renters in the neighboring building enthusiastically gave up their spots in the parking lot for a month so the mural could be installed.
The DeLeons were thrilled with the design, and so were their neighbors.
Artist Sammy Kovnat (left) talks with homeowners Sara and Clark DeLeon in front of their mural.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
“It’s the block’s mural, not just ours,” DeLeon said. “It’s become just a wonderful focal point.”
The DeLeons also discovered a surprising personal connection when they saw the artist’s plans that made the mural feel “like fate.” They had inherited a set of dishes from Clark’s mother with an almost identical design to the one on the large plate featured on the mural.
Kovnat makes mosaics using broken dishes, and painted the plate in shards as part of her work exploring healing after trauma. The background of the mural is an homage to her grandfather, the Philadelphia-based founder of a national wallpaper hangers union.
Whenever the DeLeons see people they don’t recognize looking at the mural, they always stop to talk and answer questions.
Shirley Wardlaw stands in front of the mural featuring poet and recording artist Ursula Rucker on her property, which includes a poem she wrote with her husband and daughter.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
In 2019, a North Philadelphia mural of poet and recording artist Ursula Rucker was covered when a developer constructed a mixed-use building next to it. So Mural Arts invited artist Chip Thomas, aka Jetsonorama, to create another. The organization asked Shirley Wardlaw whether a mural of the Germantown native could go on her mixed-use building in Germantown.
Wardlaw operates a nursery school out of the building, and for a few years lived in the apartment above with her husband, Eckloff, and daughter, Sanayah. When the Wardlaws bought the property, the side wall had a partly sketched-out mural that had languished since Shirley was in high school. The wall was cracking, and it “looked pretty bad,” she said.
So Wardlaw applied to Mural Arts. And in came Jetsonorama.
Shirley Wardlaw worked with Mural Arts to get a mural on the side of her building, where she operates a nursery school.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
“I was really attracted to his real-life art and the black and white photos,” Wardlaw said.
The mural features an image of Rucker holding a megaphone that amplifies a poem celebrating the community. Another poem was written by the Wardlaw family. Young people in the neighborhood also contributed poetry.
The mural “brought back life” to the area and is “a big attraction” for visitors, Wardlaw said.
“It’s a beautiful, colorful space at the end of our block,” she said.
Wardlaw thinks the mural helps draw families to her nursery school, and she has pitched murals to other neighborhood businesses as a way to attract customers.
Christopher and Shannon Wink stand in front of the “Berks Shad” mural on their Fishtown home.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Berks Shad
The plain brick wall on Shannon and Christopher Wink’s Fishtown property was “screaming for a mural,” Shannon said.
The year after they moved in, it got one.
The Winks had known Philadelphia artist Sean Martorana for years and liked his style. So they asked him to paint the exterior wall of a structure that had been a cold storage room decades earlier. It was Martorana’s first outdoor mural.
“We knew we wanted something Fishtown,” Shannon Wink said. “It can easily get a little over-the-top, but it’s so nice to have a neighborhood that has its own visual identity.”
Martorana painted a giant shad surrounded by the Pennsylvania state flower, mountain laurel, in black and white, since the Winks didn’t want something too colorful. It all stands out next to the brick of their house.
“The way that the fish is oriented, it’s facing the river, which is something that Sean and we wanted to be really intentional about,” Wink said.
Sightseers often use their mural as a backdrop for photos. People have come in their wedding dresses.
The Winks’ two daughters were born after the mural was painted, so they’ve never known a home without it. The girls love walking around the neighborhood and seeing other decorated walls.
A neighbor of theirs, inspired by the Winks’ mural, gota similar one on their home, also painted by Martorana.
Wink encourages homeowners to get in on the city’s mural tradition.
“It’s just a really nice way to sometimes beautify, but also just create some more fun in a neighborhood,” she said.
Mural Arts asked homeowner John Del Rossi for permission to honor William and Letitia Still, Underground Railroad leaders who once lived in the home. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
John Del Rossi bought his Bella Vista rowhouse in 2006. But he didn’t know about its historic significance until 2018, when he learned the property was nominated for designation as the William and Letitia Still House, named for the Underground Railroad leaders who once lived there.
A few years after the house joined the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, Mural Arts asked Del Rossi for permission for a mural to honor the Stills. He said hosting the artwork is an additional honor.
“The mural says a lot about what the house stood for,” he said. “It’s a visible representation of what took place in the home, and the sacrifice and the courage that people had in order to make that home what it was.”
During the design process, Del Rossi got to meet descendants of the Stills, which he called “a goose bumps type of meeting.”
“It was pretty surreal,” he said.
As the homeowner, he was invited to share his thoughts on the mural’s design, but he left the decisions to those who know more about art.
“I’m not an artist. I’m in medicine,” said Del Rossi, who works in California and rents out his home.
All mural expenses were covered, but he said he would have paid for the artwork himself if he had to in order to honor this piece of Philadelphia’s abolitionist history.
“I’m not gonna live forever,” Del Rossi said. “But hopefully, the mural will remain, and it’ll be a representation for the neighborhood and people in future generations to be able to see and understand what took place within those walls.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the name of the mural, “Pomegranates and Plate Shards.”
