PROJECT: All Join Hands: Visions of Peace
MURAL LOCATION: Ben Franklin High School, Broad and Spring Garden St.,
Philadelphia, PA
DATE: 2005-06 (complete)
WORKSHOPS: Selected workshops with teenagers and adults.
(click for selected workshop images)
MURAL ARTS PROGRAM: Web listings of upcomming workshops and events.
NARRATIVE: On September 22, 2005 the Philadelphia
Mural Arts Program (MAP)in conjunction with the School District of
Philadelphia, the Department of Human Services, and the Philadelphia Inquirer
Editorial Board, launched All Join Hands: The Visions of Peace Project at Ben
Franklin High School. The project with lead artist Donald Gensler was created
to raise awareness about the prevalence of youth violence in Philadelphia,
investigate causes of violent behavior, and talk about solutions to these
problems using art as a medium for discussion. Philadelphia neighborhoods can
often be defined by crime or violence, something that knows no boundaries in
race, gender, or age. Often families and communities begin to build an
identity of loss through stories and memories of their loved ones lost through
violence. Under this project, over a hundred youth and adults throughout the
city are engaging in creative workshops, discussing their personal journey and
experiences with violence.