The organizations will also team up for an event to celebrate Black artists in June and to host a summer camp for students in 2027.

by Michael Tanenbaum | Philly Voice

The Mann Center for the Performing Arts and Philadelphia Mural Arts are teaming up on a series of community projects with the U.S. semiquincentennial and the Mann Center's 50th anniversary approaching next year.

The cultural organizations announced a three-year partnership Tuesday that will cover three projects drawing on artists from West Philadelphia. The agreement highlights the Parkside neighborhood, a historic district known for its Victorian homes that were largely built during the run-up to the nation's 1876 centennial celebration.

The first of the three projects will be a series of live painting demonstrations held at the Mann Center on June 9 as part of the venue's annual "Voices of Hope" event celebrating Black influences in the city. Members of Mural Arts' Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists program will paint activations showcasing the contributions of Black artists in shaping their communities. The event will be free to attend with registration in advance.

The second project will celebrate the Mann's 50th anniversary at its 22-acre campus in the Centennial District of West Fairmount Park. Artists from West Parkside will create a 10-panel mural installation along the fence line of the Mann's Highmark Skyline Stage. The mural will tell the story of the venue's legacy and will remain on display through 2030.

A third project in 2027 will be a summer camp for students from the School District of Philadelphia and charter schools in the city. The Mann will work with Mural Arts' art education department to give campers an inside look at the venue's day-to-day operations.

"Public art is a treasure, and we are thrilled that the Mann will be home to the creative works of Mural Arts’ artists,” Catherine M. Cahill, president and CEO of the Mann, said in a statement Tuesday.

This announcement adds to a busy calendar taking shape for the semiquincentennial celebration in Philadelphia in the summer of 2026. Later this year, Mural Arts' Printmaking by the People project will hold a series of artist-led workshops for participants to make prints and paintings that will form a single mural showcasing shared values and desired changes in the United States.

Elsewhere in West Fairmount Park, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia announced Monday that it received additional funding to reach a goal of planting 250 cherry blossom trees near the horticultural center and Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center in time for the semiquincentennial. The project commemorates Japan's donation of 1,600 flowering trees that celebrated the nation's 150th birthday in 1926.

During her budget address last week, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said her administration is setting aside $100 million for the city's semiquincentennial celebrations and other major events in 2026. Plans in the coming year include beautification projects in neighborhoods and investments in security and preparedness for the extensive slate of events, including World Cup matches and the MLB All-Star Game.

(via Philly Voice)