Mural Dedication of Wissahickon Crossing Mural by Ann Northrup

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and the citizens of Chestnut Hill invite the community to celebrate Wissahickon Crossing, a new mural on the facade of Bredenbeck’s Bakery. Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts, and muralist Ann Northrup will dedicate the landmark mural project. Immediately after the dedication, there will be a reception featuring wine, cider, hors d’oeuvres, and a mural-inspired cake, hosted by Bowman Properties and Bredenbeck’s Bakery.

 Saturday, November 10, 2012, 3:00 pm

8126 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia (Chestnut Hill)

The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and Bredenbeck’s Bakery proudly dedicate Chestnut Hill’s first mural, Wissahickon Crossing, designed and painted by muralist Ann Northrup. Ann was chosen after a dynamic and competitive artist selection; her final design is taken from a pleine-aire watercolor painted directly on the building’s facade. It features a scene at the confluence of Cresheim Creek with the Wissahickon River, and a view of Forbidden Drive hidden by trees. The painting is reproduced with a tactile hand and brilliant glazes unusual in mural painting. It is framed by architectural and botanical details that unite it with Chestnut Hill’s setting. Wissahickon Crossing is Mural Arts’ first mural in Chestnut Hill, and was completely financed by individuals and businesses in Chestnut Hill.

There will be a one-time guided trolley tour of the more than 20 Mural Arts Program murals in Mt. Airy and Germantown, including historical facts about points of interest in the neighborhoods.  The Mural Arts Tour of Northwest Philadelphia will take place on Saturday, November 24, 2012 from 10:00am-noon, leaving from the Trolley Car Diner, 7619 Germantown Avenue (near Cresheim Drive).  Price:  $30/adults; $28/seniors; $20/children (12 and under). For tickets:  visit muralarts.org/tours or call 215-925-3633.  Advanced reservations are recommended since seats are limited. The tour will include Chestnut Hill's first mural, Wissahickon Crossing by Ann Northup.  Parking on Germantown Avenue near the diner, not the diner parking lot.

The Mural Arts Program is the nation’s largest mural program. Since 1984, the Mural Arts Program has created over 3,600 murals and works of public art, earning Philadelphia international recognition as the “City of Murals.” The Mural Arts Program engages over 100 communities each year in the transformation of neighborhoods through the mural-making process, while award-winning, free art education programs serve nearly 1,800 youth at sites throughout the city and at-risk teens through art education outreach programs. The Mural Arts Program also serves adult offenders in local prisons and rehabilitation centers, using the restorative power of art to break the cycle of crime and violence in our communities. Each year, nearly 18,000 residents and visitors tour the Mural Arts Program’s outdoor art gallery, which has become part of Philadelphia’s civic landscape and a source of pride and inspiration For further information, call (215) 685-0750 or visit www.muralarts.org. Follow along on social media at: twitter.com/muralarts, youtube.com/phillymuralarts, or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/MuralArtsPhiladelphia.