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The Fillmore and Mural Arts Paint Picture of Fishtown’s “Past, Present and Future”


Last Wednesday, November 18th, The Fillmore (29 E Allen St.) partnered with the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program for the “Past, Present, and Future” unveiling ceremony, which included a new rotating mural wall, the burying of a time capsule and the dedication of a National Historic Register Plaque.

The ceremony is the beginning of a creative partnership with Fishtown’s newest venue, The Fillmore, and the city of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program. The partnership will curate a rotating mural on the exterior of the concert hall that will change every couple of months. You will be able to view the mural on the Richmond Street side of The Fillmore. These large-scale pieces of art are will adorn the load-in/load-out shutter door that all artists performing at the venue use.

 “Partnering with Mural Arts is a natural extension for The Fillmore to welcome the acts that are performing with amazing street art and to connect with the community and support local and national artists.” Jason Bray, general manager for the venue said.

The first official mural presented by the partnership was created by local artist Anthony Torcasio. He says his work is “a new style of artistic expression” rooted in “the spray can graffiti street scene of [his] youth.” Toracasio’s graffiti-inspired “new hybrid abstract style” is an appropriate choice to represent a throwback to the authentic graffiti art that The Fillmore has preserved on its interior walls from when the building was the abandoned Ajax Metal Factory.

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Anthony Torcasio/Thomas Weir

The “Past, Present, and Future” ceremony also included the unveiling of a newly installed bronze plaque commemorating the recent placement of the historic Ajax Metal Factory on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

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“Part of The Fillmore legacy that Bill Graham created was the grass roots poster culture and resulting psychedelic art form that developed during the late 60s and 70s,” said David Fortin, SVP Marketing of Live Nation’s House of Blues Entertainment division. He helped create the Mural Arts partnership. “That spirit of creating unique art to promote and celebrate the performing acts has carried on for over 50 years.”

 

The third act of the ceremony was led by Fishtown historian Ken Milano. He explained to the audience that this area of Fishtown used to be called “Point Pleasant” in the days of Benjamin Franklin. It was a country getaway from the bustling inner-city.

The neighborhood transformed into an energetic and industrial economic hub for almost 200 years. But, that all changed after post-World War II de-industrialization stripped the area of entire industries, leaving behind vacant buildings like the Ajax Metal Factory.

Because the neighborhood is developing and growing again Milano said,

“I don’t know any other time in history that is as important as this time right now.”

Together Milano, Fortin and Bray proceed to fill a time-capsule with items pertaining to the day, the venue and some things that future generations will be able to appreciate. Some of the items included were Philadelphia sports teams memorabilia, a Flyers puck, a small replica Eagles helmet, a Phillies bobble-head and a 76ers Jahlil Okafor Jersey. Also added to the capsule were newspaper publications from the day, an old brick from the Ajax Factory, a copy of Billboard magazine, a Mural Arts book, a handful of Hall and Oates CDs and several “secret” items that only The Fillmore officials know of.

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Mural Arts will oversee the scheduling of the rotating Fillmore murals and coordinate with local and travelling street artists.

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