{"id":78,"date":"2018-10-24T20:50:00","date_gmt":"2018-10-25T00:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/water-gives-life-mural-celebration\/"},"modified":"2022-12-03T11:48:21","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T16:48:21","slug":"water-gives-life-mural-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/water-gives-life-mural-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"New Water-themed Mural Is Brimming with Hidden Details, History"},"content":{"rendered":"

At more than four stories high and a bit<\/a> longer than a blue whale, it\u2019s easy to focus on the sheer size of Water Gives Life<\/em><\/strong>, a new mural by artists and partners Euhri Jones<\/a> and David McShane<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But to do so would be missing out on the backstory and many small details that make this a special piece for Jones, McShane, and the city.<\/p>\n

\"Jones<\/p>\n

Jones and McShane make finishing touches on the Water\u00a0Gives\u00a0Life<\/em> mural ahead of the Oct.\u00a023\u00a0dedication. Photo\u00a0Credit:\u00a0PWD<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The mural was officially welcomed into Philadelphia\u2019s legendary public art collection at an October 23 dedication ceremony<\/a>, one of many events taking place during Mural Arts Month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Located at 13th and Arch Streets (though you might also spot it on one of the mural-wrapped Lyft cars<\/a> driving around the city), Water Gives Life<\/em><\/a> offers passersby a burst of vibrant colors that McShane says are intended to leave you feeling like you\u2019re in the presence of a verdant garden.<\/p>\n

That was the idea when McShane first painted the wall two decades ago, and it holds true for this latest work, what the artists consider a reimagining of the original<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Envision\u00a0Something New\u2019<\/h4>\n

One of his first big pieces after graduating from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts<\/a>, McShane said the 1998 mural was commissioned by Mural\u00a0Arts\u00a0Philadelphia<\/a> and the Pennsylvania\u00a0Horticultural\u00a0Society<\/a> to inject a sense of nature into the area. He was selected to do the work after winning a competition for the best proposal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere wasn\u2019t a whole lot to look at around here at that time, and since there wasn\u2019t any real room for actual green space, the idea was to paint a garden into existence right on the wall,\u201d said McShane.<\/p>\n

He and Jones, also a PAFA grad, had recently started dating. She gave him some suggestions on making flowers featured within the work look more life-like and helped with some painting.<\/p>\n

Dozens and dozens of Philly murals, a few kids, and 20 years later, and the couple have just completed what they consider to be their very first full collaboration, resulting in the stunning Water Gives Life<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe original mural was portraits of flowers and vegetables to highlight the kind of programs that the Horticultural Society does. And 20 years later, it was in need of some restoration and some freshening-up,\u201d McShane said. \u201cRather than put the resources into painting exactly what was there and refreshing it, we thought it would be a great opportunity for us to do something new and envision\u00a0something new.\u201d<\/p>\n

New Partner, New Theme<\/h4>\n

Also different this time around:<\/strong> the Philadelphia Water Department<\/a> (PWD<\/strong>) joined PHS in sponsoring the work, a pairing born out of a close relationship developed through the <\/strong>Rain Check<\/a> program<\/strong>. Launched in 2012, Rain Check is funded by the PWD and managed by PHS and the Sustainable Business Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The not-for-profit organization hosts workshops throughout the year that provide Philadephia residents free rain barrels and subsidies for larger green stormwater projects, like rain gardens<\/a> and rain-absorbing pavement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While McShane has worked on past projects with PHS, Jones has done several projects<\/a> with PWD, including a mural in West Philadelphia overlooking a vacant lot<\/a>-turned rain garden.<\/p>\n

McShane has done well over 100 murals in the area, many of them wrap-around works at local schools. (Fun fact<\/strong>: McShane\u2019s twin brother, Frank, works as a graphic artist with the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary<\/a> and designed the old \u201cYo! Fish\u201d markers<\/a> that urged residents not to dump trash in PWD storm drains.)<\/p>\n

Where\u2019s Water?<\/h4>\n

Rain Check shows up in the mural via a rain barrel, just one of the many water references. The Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, the source of Philadelphia\u2019s drinking water<\/a>, feature prominently in a backdrop that also includes the city\u2019s downtown street grid.<\/p>\n

Snaking throughout that scene are water mains and sewers, drawing attention to the 6,800-plus miles of infrastructure<\/strong> maintained by PWD<\/a>. A flowing tap spills clean drinking water into a glass, and a garden hose and watering can spray life-sustaining H2O onto a bright spread of vegetables, flowers, mushrooms, and more.<\/p>\n

Other water references are more subtle: curvey threads of blue ribbons cascade down the wall, imagery Jones says were inspired by the raindrop-like sculptures of Japanese-American artist Ruth Asawa.<\/p>\n