After reading this article about the Dutch artist duo Haas & Hahn painting storefronts in North Philly I had to make sure I saw it for myself when I was visiting for a day over the weekend.
I was familiar with their work after seeing the brightly colored murals in a favela in Brazil, so I was quite excited to see them take on a similar project in a city I know so well.
The new project is on Germantown Ave right at the Huntingdon intersection. When I lived in North Philly I would sometimes drive down Germantown Ave to get to school; it was a back way I took to avoid the annoying traffic on Broad Street. Although that particular area has a lot of neglected buildings and property, I always drove through there noticing that it was still pretty vibrant with the shops and activity of the locals getting to where they had to go.
Aside from the amazing colors that bring the drab buildings to life, what I love most is that the community was actively involved in the project. From picking colors to assisting with some of the painting, this mural allowed Haas and Hahn to get to know and work with the shop owners and residents (versus imposing a piece of art work into their space).
It's still a work in progress but I can't wait to see when it's all complete. And I hope they can make their next project happen in Baltimore. My new home.
Read more about the project here and here. And if you live in or around Philly definitely check it out.
