Philadelphia is known as the city of murals. 1Philadelphia is proud to strengthen this tradition by coming together with Mural Arts, Bank Of America, Coded By Kids and muralist Priscilla Bell to create this amazing work of art to inspire Philly’s youth.
The 1Philadelphia mural at South Philly’s Smith Playground celebrates the past, present, and future contributions of underrepresented individuals in technology and we hope shows Philly residents that a career in tech is within reach.
We know that the potential of Philadelphia’s youth is endless. By working together, we have created a mural to show the community that they have a place in the future of tech. “I hope Priscilla Bell’s mural provides some inspiration to the young people who visit, and shows Philadelphia residents that a career in tech is within reach.” said Sylvester Mobley, founder and CEO of Coded by Kids.
The Artist
“Artist Priscilla Bell, with the help of Mural Arts' Women’s Reentry Program participants, has used the power of art to shine a light on the important work of Coded by Kids & the critical issues that drive their work.” - Jane Golden, Mural Arts Philadelphia.
Using her own personal connection with tech to create this design, Bell hopes to inspire Philadelphia’s youth to see themselves in the technology space and know their options are limitless. “I seek to share my art with others in hopes of sparking thoughtful conversation with the viewer. It is my hope to help shed light on some of the often-challenging topics that I address in my work.”
Collaboration
1Philadelphia is based on the belief that the change needed can only be achieved by working together. As Mural Arts’s Executive Director Jane Golden said, it is our collective responsibility “to make sure that every young person has as many opportunities as possible.”
Part of 1Philadelphia’s mission is to bring together funders and organizations to collaborate on solving the issue of inequality in tech. Thank you to Bank of America for being one of our partners in this project and helping us create a better future for the youth of Philadelphia.
“This mural is part of the revitalization of Philadelphia that Mural Arts focuses on to improve the economy while also demonstrating the impact of Coded by Kids’ transformative workforce readiness initiative,” said Jim Dever, President of Bank of America Greater Philadelphia.
We can’t thank everyone who made this mural possible enough! Make sure to stop by Smith Playground to admire this amazing work of art and get inspired about the future of technology in our city!
