One June 10, Mural Arts & the Mt. Airy Business Improvement District dedicated three new murals along Germantown Avenue at a celebration in the Lutheran Seminary plaza across the street from Wawa.
Artist Natalie Negron’s new mural, “Mount Airy Way,” is located at Mt. Airy CDC headquarters, 6703 Germantown Avenue. Developed in conversation with the CDC and local groups, the mural is a whimsical narrative of the Mt. Airy neighborhood, celebrating local flora, fauna, and architecture. It features the Route 23 trolley as well as plants and animals of the Wissahickon. The artist is an alumni of C.W. Henry School and a native of Northwest Philadelphia.
“We Got the Jazz” by artist Alloyius McLlwaine is located at Mt. Airy Real Estate, 6330 Germantown Ave. This mural celebrates Mount Airy, its rich musical heritage, and pays homage to McIlwaine’s lineage from a family of musicians. It features the artist’s signature “kudo glyphs”—abstract symbols that convey messages of promise, hope, and affirmation—interwoven with uplifting words. Look closely and you’ll spot train tracks, cobblestones, and other elements from the local landscape subtly embedded in the design.
The third mural, “Clash Power II,” by artist Femi Olatunji, is located at Wawa, 7236 Germantown Ave. The piece highlights that Mt. Airy is home to a vibrant mix of ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. Clash Power II visually celebrates the extraordinary diversity that comes together to form the rich cultural tapestry we proudly call Mt. Airy.
Mt. Airy CDC thanks all who contributed to making these pieces of public art a reality for Mt. Airy and uplifting the neighborhood in the process.
At the event, Mt. Airy CDC Executive Director Philip Dawson said, “If you know Mt. Airy, you know it has an identity and many stories worth telling, but it has been wanting for more places to showcase them…These three new murals by Mural Arts and the Mt. Airy BID truly move the needle on the amount public art in Mt. Airy, and that is such an asset to the community.”
