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For sure, but for street art alone, Philly does beat out every city IMO. I get it is part of the art ecosystem but I believe street art (murals and graffiti) is its own beast with a distinct character. I do agree that more does not equal a better art scene but it shows that those respective cities are hotspots and the best of the best. If an artist does a wall in Philly, Montreal, NYC or Wynwood, it's a win (N.A wise). It also shows that the other cities mentioned are up and coming and will eventually become a hotspot, these things change so fast now so in three years from now, maybe some city not on the list becomes the new mecca, and so on and so forth.
Philadelphia has what I'd call an "official" and an "unofficial" street art scene.
The official one is overseen by Mural Arts Philadelphia, whose founder, Jane Golden, still runs it. It began in the 1980s as an effort to combat graffiti and now will paint any blank wall that people request a mural for. Some taggers, like Steve Powers ("ESPO" — "Exterior Surface Painting Outreach"), crossed over into the Big Time Art World as a result of their work. He is responsible for Mural Arts' magnum opus, "A Love Letter For You," a series of some 50 murals on the upper floors of buildings along Market Street from 48th to 63d, meant to be viewed from the Market-Frankford Line (aka "the El"). Wry. witty, poignant and even moving, the messages are "a letter for one, with meaning for all" – notes from a guy to his girlfriend, but also notes about the vagaries of life in general, occasionally working in references to businesses and addresses of buildings the murals are painted on (e.g., "For What I Want, I Can Wait — I'll Wait 4800 Years If I Have To" on the side of 4800 Market), or a hair clipper and the words "I'll Shape Up" on the wall of a barber shop).
My personal favorite is the largest mural in the series, which also carries the artist's signature and acknowledgements at the bottom. You see it as you leave 56th Street station eastbound. It's visible at 2:00 in the video below; somehow, I don't think Powers had that non-specific girlfriend in mind when he painted it, but rather the people on the train viewing it.
For some reason, YouTube won't play this video embedded in my post; here's the link to it:
That's a pretty good number, are there any other programs or festivals? I heard Colorado in general has a great street art scene, so it makes me want to explore, especially since I finally stopped working.
I’ve heard it estimated that there are up to 500 murals in St. Petersburg, FL.
Oh? That is a lot more than I expected for there and that's even more than what Miami is estimated to currently have. I really have to see all the murals in St. Pete, been a long time since I've been there.
Oh? That is a lot more than I expected for there and that's even more than what Miami is estimated to currently have. I really have to see all the murals in St. Pete, been a long time since I've been there.
I’m not sure how many there really are in St. Pete. It’s pretty good for murals, but nothing is going to top Wynwood in Florida. I haven’t been there in about 5 years, has Wynwood changed much since?
That's a pretty good number, are there any other programs or festivals? I heard Colorado in general has a great street art scene, so it makes me want to explore, especially since I finally stopped working.
The Crush Walls festival was canceled as the founder was accused of sexual assault so hopefully someone can replace it with another one.
I’m not sure how many there really are in St. Pete. It’s pretty good for murals, but nothing is going to top Wynwood in Florida. I haven’t been there in about 5 years, has Wynwood changed much since?
Last I went, it's still heavy on murals but a lot of art galleries closed down and a lot of graffiti/mural pieces were demolished to make ways for condos. When I was in Miami and Wynwood was in its heyday, it had about 70 art galleries, now it's about 10. It's now becoming a typical "techie" area you'd see in SoCal to be honest with you.
As of 2019, Minneapolis had over 400, but that number has increased significantly since George Floyd's murder and the unrest that followed. St. Paul has a lot too, but I couldn't find a decent number.
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