The Phillies Mural by David McShane of Murals Arts Philadelphia is just one of the pieces of public art in the city. (Credit: David McShane, Mural Arts Philadelphia)
The list of the 2025 USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Award winners for Best City for Street Art in America is out and Philadelphia earned the top spot once again.
Our large collection of public art previously won the award in 2023. The other nine cities nominated by readers this year were Portland, Oregon; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Nashville, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; St. Petersburg, Florida; Detroit, Michigan’ Jackson, Tennessee’ and Cincinnati, Ohio.
The City of Brotherly Love has received both national and international recognition for its public art, an eclectic mix of murals, sculptures and other art installations created by the Association for Public Art, Mural Arts Philadelphia and independent artists.
While the city’s vibrant street art scene certainly can be experienced in your daily travels, there are also tours available to showcase the depth and breadth of artistic expression found on the streets of your hometown.
Mural Arts and the Streets Department run guided tours, or you can embark on a self-guided tour using an interactive map created by the Association for Public Art.
With more than 4,000 murals alone, the city is considered the “Mural Capital of the World.”
David McShane, senior mural production advisor for Mural Arts Philadelphia, told Philly Daily, that the city has become a giant art gallery.
Mural Arts Philadelphia, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, has established a culture of mural making in the city, he explained.
“It is not just mural artists doing their own thing, but also artists working with people in the community to create publicly engaged art,” he explained.
Executive Director Jane Golden initially worked with young people to transform graffiti into mural collaborations. Since then, the program has grown to include collaborations with community organizations, city agencies, schools, the private sector and individual artists.
The Mural Arts Institute was established in 2017 to share Golden and her team’s model for making socially engaged art to amplify voices and transform communities.
McShane has been with Mural Arts Philadelphia for over 30 years and his art appears all over the city.
One of his biggest projects is an annual partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles to create murals for school buildings. The Eagles organization builds a new playground for an elementary school in the city and then McShane creates a mural that includes artwork from the students. One of his projects can be seen at the Stephen Girard Elementary School at 18th and Snyder Streets.
(Source: David McShane, Mural Arts Philadelphia)
A mural dedicated to Herman Wrice, a renowned Philadelphia activist who worked hard to transform neighborhoods from within, located at the northwest corner of 33th Street and Haverford Avenue in West Philly, is also one of his.
(Source: David McShane, Mural Arts Philadelphia)
So is a Jackie Robinson mural on Broad Street and a Phillies mural at 24th and Walnut Streets along the Schuylkill River.
(Source: David McShane, Mural Arts Philadelphia)
On his projects, he works with the community to decide what the mural will look like and what the underlying message will be. One of his favorite techniques to use is creating a giant paint by number that students and community members can help fill in.
Referring to his partnership with the Eagles, he said, “The players have a lot of fun working with the kids. It is a great experience and the art really transforms the space.”
For a more expansive look at the city’s public art, check out Visit Philadelphia’s list of essential public art.
