The Mann Center for the Performing Arts and Mural Arts Philadelphia have entered a three-year partnership from 2025 through 2027. The collaboration will include three public art and education projects focused on West Philadelphia. It coincides with the Mann Center’s 50th anniversary in 2026 and the United States’ 250th anniversary, known as the semiquincentennial.

The first project begins on June 9, 2025, at the Mann Center’s “Voices of Hope: An Event in Celebration of Black Excellence.” This event will feature live painting sessions by artists from Mural Arts’ Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists program.

These artists will create new artwork that celebrates the role of Black artists in their communities. The event is free to attend but requires advance registration. It will take place at the Mann Center campus in the Centennial District of West Fairmount Park.

The second project is a mural installation in 2026, celebrating the Mann Center’s 50th year. Artists from the West Parkside neighborhood will design and paint a ten-panel mural. It will be installed along the fence line of the Mann’s Highmark Skyline Stage. The mural will illustrate the history of the Mann Center and will remain in place until 2030. The Mann’s location covers 22 acres in West Fairmount Park.

The third project is scheduled for the summer of 2027. It will be a visual arts summer camp for students from the School District of Philadelphia and local charter schools. The Mann will partner with Mural Arts’ art education department to offer the camp. Students will work on creative projects, learn about visual arts, and explore the Mann Center’s operations behind the scenes.

All three projects will involve artists and students from West Philadelphia, specifically the Parkside neighborhood. This area has historical significance, with many homes built during the lead-up to the U.S. centennial in 1876.

This partnership is one part of many events happening in the lead-up to the United States’ 250th birthday in 2026. That year, Philadelphia will host several public programs across the city. One of them is a project by Mural Arts called Printmaking by the People. In this project, artists will lead workshops where people can make prints and paintings. All of the artwork will come together to form one large mural. The goal is to show the values and hopes people across the country share.

In addition, the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia recently received more funding to help plant 250 new cherry blossom trees near the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center and the Horticultural Center in West Fairmount Park. This effort honors the gift of 1,600 flowering trees from Japan to the U.S. in 1926 for the country’s 150th anniversary.

Philadelphia’s city government is also investing in these events. In her budget speech, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced that the city is setting aside $100 million for the 250th anniversary and other major events in 2026. These include international and national events like FIFA World Cup matches and the MLB All-Star Game.

The Mann Center is a nonprofit performing arts venue that hosts more than 400,000 visitors annually. It is the summer home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and presents artists from genres including classical, rock, jazz, R&B, pop, hip hop, and indie.

The campus includes several venues: the TD Pavilion, the Russ and Wendy Palmer Great Lawn, and the Highmark Skyline Stage. The venue also features Crescendo, a tented restaurant, and seven rental event spaces.

The Mann Center’s Institute for Creative Arts and Community Impact runs free education and arts programs, reaching thousands of students each year. Virtual programs are offered through the Mann Music Room.

Mural Arts Philadelphia is the largest public art program in the United States. Over the past four decades, it has completed over 4,300 murals across Philadelphia. The organization works on youth education, public art, restorative justice, mental health, and community engagement. Mural Arts also runs public mural tours and maintains Philadelphia’s reputation as the “Mural Capital of the World.”