Copyright phillyvoice
Mural Arts is searching for a Philadelphia artist to honor the city's queer history in a new installation in the Gayborhood. Applications to design the mural on the exterior of the Voyeur nightclub, at 1221 St. James St., open Wednesday. The mural will include four to six trailblazers in Philly's LGBTQ+ community, such as Unity co-founder Tyrone Smith, activist Jaci Adams and Gloria Casarez, the city's first LGBT Affairs director. It also will depict the work of the people honored. The mural will be dedicated in June. In addition to being Pride Month, June also kicks off a busy summer in Philadelphia, including the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on Independence. "As people flock to Philadelphia in 2026, we want to make sure that even more of our LGBTQ+ histories are on the walls of our city," said Conrad Benner, project manager and founder of street art organization Streets Dept. "In this, the 'Mural Capital of the World,' it's important that our stories are told in our public space." Applicants must submit qualifications to Mural Arts, including general information and stylistic ideas. Once an artist has been selected, community members and the site owner will provide feedback on the design, which must be approved by an internal design review committee. The deadline to submit applications is Nov. 2. Mural Arts said the mural will build on the success of the "Finally on 13th!" display at 306 S. 13th St. by Nilé Livingston. That piece, installed in November 2023, honors queer Black ballroom culture, the tradition of "walking" in competitions featuring dance, lip-syncing, modeling, voguing and other performances. Community members can help paint the mural on two painting days ahead of the final installation. The mural is in partnership with the Washington Square West Civic Association and the office of Councilmember Rue Landau (D-At-Large).
