Resolution 090692

..Title Calling for Hearings on the Art in City Hall and the 1% for Art Programs to Explore how these Programs can be Made to Better Serve the Citizens of Philadelphia. ..Body WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia consists of a diverse population including citizens of every age, ethnicity, religious background, income and education level; and WHEREAS, City Hall and its public spaces are a resource that every citizen should have a right to access and enjoy; and WHEREAS, The Art in City Hall program includes the use of art-exhibit display cases that occupy the common areas and hallways on the 2nd, 4th and 5th floors of City Hall; and WHEREAS, It would be reasonable and appropriate to allow art created by high school students and inmates to be displayed as part of the Art in City Hall program on an equal basis with other artists; and WHEREAS, The Mural Arts Program (MAP) was conceived in 1984 as part of an initiative aimed at eradicating graffiti throughout Philadelphia. Over the past 22 years, MAP has created more than 2,800 murals throughout Philadelphia and has engaged more than 20,000 young people in pursuit of its mission of providing Philadelphia's youth and communities with hope through art; and WHEREAS, MAP's art education programs, offered at 23 sites including schools, recreation centers, homeless shelters, detention centers and cultural institutions, expose young people to the historical tradition of mural art as well as to different careers that draw on the skills associated with this craft; and WHEREAS, The City's Mural Arts Program has received national and international recognition for its success in beautifying neighborhoods and giving at-risk youth constructive alternatives to destructive behaviors; and WHEREAS, Bringing the City's Art in City Hall and 1% for Art programs under the stewardship of the Mural Arts Program could make each program more accessible to all members of the public; now therefore, be it, RESOLVED, That the City Council of Philadelphia Calls for Hearings on the Art in City Hall and the 1% for Art Programs to Explore How These Programs can be Made to Better Serve the Citizens of Philadelphia. ..End