On July 12, 2022, Mural Arts Philadelphia in partnership with SEPTA, revealed their first series of murals in Suburban Station created by Mural Arts’ ‘Color Me Back’ program.
The murals titled “A Distant Spark: Iterations 1-5” and “A Blinding Light: Iterations 1-5” by artist Andrea Grasso connect with an initiative managed by Mural Arts’ Porch Light community wellness program, that combines participatory art making and access to social services in a unique model offering individuals who are experiencing economic insecurity an opportunity to earn wages. ‘Color Me Back’ will reveal two additional murals currently in progress this summer. A three-wall series by Lisa Kelly will surround the SEPTA REM&E office at Suburban Station and another installation on 20th and Cuthbert Street by Josh Sarantitis.
A collaboration with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disability services, ‘Color Me Back’ received a generous gift from philanthropists Erik Hirsch and Margaret McAllister as well as SEPTA. ‘Color Me back’ also gained national recognition when Mural Arts Founder and Executive Director Jane Golden, joined by program participant Norman Bonk, was featured on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ in January 2022.
The theme behind Andrea Grasso’s “A Distant Spark: Iterations 1-5” and “A Blinding Light: Iterations 1-5” is connectivity, shown through the flowing compositions of the design, the designs adjacent to each other, and the ones across the corridor. The mural piece comprises ten panels, five on each side of the concourse along 15th Street. The designs on one wall come directly from work with participants who did workshops on abstract geometric collages. The second wall is also inspired by participants and includes shapes that add complexity and chaos, reminiscent of the present and future of the city. They represent the development of the city over time and the layering and overlapping of infrastructure, including the underground work of the subway system. The central design in the series is reminiscent of the city center, a hub from which everything radiates.
Andrea Grasso has worked in various public art aspects for nearly a decade. This work is driven by a passion for the accessibility of public art projects, as well as an acknowledgment of the importance of beautifying public spaces in our cities. He studied social practice art and painting at Portland State University and went on to get a master’s in City Planning from Temple University. His geometric abstract style is a product of the desire to bring dynamic energy and vibrant colors into our increasingly muted, gray, and box-like cityscapes.
