Our Aquatic Neighbors Public Mural by Sean Martorana in Philadelphia

Our Aquatic Neighbors Public Mural A 1500+ square foot mural designed to educate the local neighborhood about the floral and fauna that exists around them and flourishes in and around the Delaware River. "All of the animals in this mural live in and along the Delaware River within tour neighborhood! Some of them, like the Bufflehead ducks, can be seen almost every day at Penn Treaty Park. Others, like the sturgeon, are a bit more rare. As you walk along this mural, take a moment to explore the wildlife living here." Date completed: 5.14.23 Location: Intersection of Trenton Ave & E Norris St., Philadelphia, PA 19125 Size: Approximately 115' x 13' - 1500 sq ft Animals included: The Great Blue Heron, American Water Snake, Dragonfly, Bufflehead Duck, Sturgeon, American Eagle, Shad Fish, Beaver, Freshwater Mussels Florals Included: Pickeral Weed, Cattails, Brown Eyed Susan, Scarlet Maple, Yellow Pond Lily Sponsored by: Skype a Scientist, The Fishtown Neighbors Association, local arts public school The Kensington High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, local artist Sean Martorana and funded by The Penn Treaty Special Services District. I'm so honored to be a part of this project. This was a full rehab of an entire 115' long, 100+ year old wall. When Sarah McAnulty of Skype a Scientist brought the idea of painting this wall to me I knew it was going to a tough one to get done. The surface was covered in dirt, grime, layers paint and pastes by street artists and a ridiculous amount of paint from the city to cover it all up. The amount of effort that was put into preparing this space is incredible. Over 50 hours of volunteer work included digging dirt, chopping down thick weeds and brush, power-washing and much much more. Not only did they clean up refurbish the front, sides and top of the wall, they also washed the side walk and built flowers beds around the trees that were already planted there. This expanded the experience you get from the mural to receiving the feeling of the community and care all around you. I'm so thankful for everybody involved. This mural is birthed through the idea of educating the neighborhood on the ecosystem that exists in their environment. Part of the educational component of this project was also to bring in young creatives to have a part in a large public art project. Through Skype a Scientist we worked with the students from the Kensington Creative and Performing Arts high school which included a field trip to the Freshwater Mussel Hatchery at the Fairmount Waterworks. The students then assisted in everything from choosing the flora and fauna that was going into the mural, priming the wall, getting messy with the textured background to the fine details in the end. A truly amazing experience working with these kind, driven and extremely creative group of people.