How to become a muralist in Philly: Tips from professional mural artists

To some, a wall on the side of a building might just be a wall, but for Philly muralists it’s a blank canvas — to share stories, empower communities, inform the public and fight for social justice.

Scenes of love, passion, pain and triumph in brilliant colors beautify neighborhoods from Northern Liberties to West Philly. Memorials of beloved personalities, commemorations of observances such as Black History Month and illustrations of acceptance for marginalized communities welcome visitors and bring comfort to residents.

In Love Park, six freestanding murals encourage you to head to the polls and vote. The “To The Polls” mural exhibit was curated by Conrad Benner of the blog Streets Dept and is part of an exhibit from Mural Arts Philadelphia, back for its third year.

There’s the mural titled, “Create Our Future,” by West Philly’s Donna Grace Kroh, an artist who’s been an independent contractor with Mural Arts for over a year. She took photos of Philly residents and asked them what their future would look like. The mural features portraits of those residents and their answers.

Then, there’s De’von Downes. He took a more personal approach to his mural for the exhibit, “A Chance for Hope.” The Jersey native shares why he specifically votes — he believes his young cousins deserve a better future. Kensington artist J.C. Zerbe’s mural reflects the power that voting has for the community to “level the playing field.” His work features a young boy in a construction hat using a leveling tool in front of City Hall — a thought bubble above the child’s head reads, “Vote to Build a Better Philly!”

Becoming a muralist takes work, but it’s doable if you have the passion and dedication, along with the resources. And in Philadelphia, there are programs to help get you started in the Mural Arts community, like the annual Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists.

But how do you navigate the learning curves, find funding and embrace your work? The Inquirer asked these artists how aspiring muralists can hone their craft and create their own vibrant, conversational pieces in Philly.

First, have a passion for it, Kroh said.

“I think that is really the most important,” she said. “Because it’s definitely a lot more labor than what people would expect.”

Then, find resources that help you get your feet wet in the craft. She recommends the training programs at Mural Arts. The program teaches muralists everything from how to find the right wall to work on to the various materials and techniques that’ll help the mural “stay for 50 plus years.”

In the spring, there’s a mural training class to help artists “learn the whole process,” Kroh said. After the training, she advises either diving into painting and volunteering with Mural Arts or starting your journey solo.

Having a mentor is another way to navigate through the learning curves, Kroh added.

“In high school, I ended up having a really great art teacher who showed me street art, screen printing, and helped me better my art skills in general.”

Downes agrees, networking with other muralists helps you build a community of support and inspiration. “If you want to be part of (the scene), you have to actually go and be a part of it.”

It’s similar to dating or jumping into the real world after finishing school — you’re not finding the right fit. Downes suggests the first step is “to involve yourself into the Philly art scene.”

Rec Philly, a co-working space for creatives, is a good starting point for meeting people and introducing them to your work, he said. The organization inspired him to think more about how to brand himself as an artist.

Zerbe also advises “to always strive to be where the art is,” and those opportunities will come along. Be at the art galleries, meet artists and see what they are creating, and be aware of what is going on around you and in your city.

But the Kensington artist emphasized doing the work. Volunteering with artists can help get you started. For instance, Zerbe began his decade-long career volunteering with Mural Arts, then eventually went on to do his own work.

“Find opportunities for yourself because to be an artist of any kind you need to grind and work at it,” he said. “Work on your craft and what you want to do, and be able to take constructive criticism because that’s the only way you can grow. If you think you already have all the answers or this or that, you’re not going to grow any further.”

Muralists aren’t “starving artists,” Kroh said, “we are flourishing” — and that’s because there is plenty of funding out there.

One way to find funding is by working as an assistant to an artist. Or you can get funding with grants online — Kroh finds many of her grants via Mural Arts resource page.

“You can see various project requests where they will actually support you 100% with your design, as long as you meet the requirements and everything,” Kroh said.

Other grants can also be found at Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE), the Leeway Foundation and Fleisher Art Memorial.

Artists are getting paid for their vision rather than the art itself, as Zerbe sees it. He advises working on that vision with volunteer projects. Once you build the network, the opportunities (and money) will come.

“It’s important to realize how you got where you are and to pass that information on,” he said. “Artists need to support artists.”

And the key to acquiring those gigs is to get out there, introduce yourself and be kind to others, Downes said.

“If you’re nice and you genuinely have a nice conversation with someone, like an actual human conversation, people will remember you and they’ll throw your name into a room… and then from there you meet new people.

“The biggest part is not being scared to bet on yourself and put yourself into the rooms that you want to be in.”

But make sure to pace yourself and treat yourself along the way, Downes said.

Look at it as a work/life balance that focuses on your physical and mental well-being, rather than one focused on expenses.

Stay focused, don’t get discouraged and don’t compare yourself to other artists, Kroh said.

“We are all on our own journey,” she added. “As long as you have the passion and drive for it, we have enough space for all of us to thrive in art.”

And Downes reminds you to be true to your art and don’t lose sight of the art.

”I think remembering what you started making art for kind of keeps you aligned to the right projects and things that are right for you, because you’re no longer talking yourself out of the fun,” he said. Now, you’re just kind of making art instead of doing a job.”