Why the turtle?

To Bernard Guet, it has something to do with the fact that the shelled creature inhabited the region well before Roxborough became a shopping destination.

Others say it's a symbol of the neighborhood's proximity to, and connection with, Fairmount Park, one of the largest urban park systems nationwide.

In the end, the reason behind the turtle theme - chosen by members of the community working with the artist - could be left up to the viewer.

"It's done not in your face, it's very discreet, very elegant," Guet, executive director of the Roxborough Development Corp., said of the new mural gracing the side of 6100 Ridge Ave.

Guet spoke by phone last week prior to the official unveiling of the mural, which was painted as part of the city's Mural Arts Program, a beautification program that started out as an anti-graffiti initiative in the 1980s.

Work on the mural began in April and was completed last month. The painting, done by artist Dennis Haugh, covered over an earlier mural, or rather, billboard-like advertisement, that had graced the building's wall for many years.

The previous painting, which depicted a woman with a concerned look accompanied by the words "Stop Worrying About Your Drapes," was an ad for an old dry cleaning business that occupied the storefront, according to Jack McGovern, who owns the property comprising 6100 to 6111 Ridge Ave.

"When I say a 'mural,' it was kind of a laughable thing," McGovern said by phone about the image that previously graced the wall. "It was like an advertisement that got faded away over time."

McGovern purchased his property - consisting of five retail stores, five apartments, and one single home - three years ago. When he learned Jane Golden and her Mural Arts Program wanted to beautify "The Ridge," as the commercial strip is known, he was more than happy to offer his space.

McGovern praised Golden, the program's founder, for the good she has done in the city throughout the years. Still, he couldn't help but to question why Roxborough was chosen, since murals often go up in "blighted areas and up-and-coming areas." Nevertheless, he's just happy his property was chosen for the imagery, since some view that portion of Roxborough as entrance point to the community.

Guet, the development corp. head, said the mural will be a nice addition to the streetscape improvements planned for Ridge Avenue, upgrade work which is expected to get under way early next year.

"That's going to be one element of the streetscape," Guet said. "It's going to become a symbol. People are going to say, 'lets meet at the turtle.' It's going to be very visible."

Guet said while neighborhoods like Manayunk have their own draw, Roxborough has lacked that sense of identity. But with the planned streetscape improvements, and additions like the new mural, people will hear "Roxborough" and know what it's all about.

"That's part of the whole branding and image that we are working on," Guet said. "We are not as branded as we should be."

The excitement was palpable during last Thursday's mural unveiling, a celebration that drew the likes of state Rep. Kathy Manderino (D-194th dist.), representatives with the office of Councilman Curtis Jones Jr., Mural Arts Program founder Golden, and mural creator Haugh.

In her opening remarks, Golden, who has overseen the creation of 3,100 murals across the city since the program's inception, said there is no other urban area in the country with as much outdoor public art as Philadelphia.

"Art lifts our spirit, it challenges us, it's evocative, it educates," Golden said.

Golden said the program has been so successful because of its ability to bring communities together. While the murals themselves are the works of individual artists, the imagery, which is discussed through a public process of community meetings and widespread neighborhood input, is arrived at very much collectively.

"We work with many community members," Golden said. "The artist creates the mural, but it's truly the community that drives the vision."

Manderino also spoke about the ability of public art to bring people together, since it represents a common bond.

"It pulls together the community to recognize the value and importance of things in our hometown," she said. "We are really blessed in the City of Philadelphia with so many great resources and so many communities that care."

Al Spivey, Councilman Jones' chief of staff, turned his attention to Golden, praising her for the good work she has done for more than two decades.

"I think you're a national treasure," he told Golden.

Spivey said art has the ability to cross generations, and transcend time, and since Roxborough has been in existence since 1690, he doesn't envision the mural losing its meaning anytime soon.

As for McGovern, the owner of the wall on which the mural is painted, he couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome.

"It's a beautiful work of art in our opinion," he said to Haugh during the ceremony. "We're very happy you did that for us."

The property's former owner even made an appearance during the event, voicing his support for public art. Marty Milgrom, who sold the property to McGovern three years ago, and whose father owned the dry cleaners that commissioned the now-painted-over advertisement, said the "down to earth people of Roxborough" deserve a landmark like this in their community, one he has grown to love throughout the years.

"You almost forget about all the problems there are all over the world," Milgrom said about the mural's ability to steal people's attention. "You can just look at this and think of something decent."

Haugh, the artist, said he was unfamiliar with Roxborough when he entered his name in the mix to create the mural two years ago. Since that time, however, he has grown to love and respect the neighborhood.

"I'm glad people appreciate this and took a chance on this idea," he said. "This is something different, more distinctive."

The mural depicts a turtle that has the names of Roxborough streets written on the grooves of its shell. The background, which contains natural elements such as grass and sky, also has images such as the great seal of Roxborough and the Valley Green Inn, a historic inn on Fairmount Park's Forbidden Drive.

Golden, the program's founder, said art can have a positive impact on any community regardless of socio-economic status.

"Art saves lives, and the privilege of this job is we get to see remarkable changes all the time," Golden said.

Golden also thanked Roxborough for letting her team be a part of the community for this relatively short period of time.

"Let this not be an ending, but a beginning, and let us work with you in the future," she said.

Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com