Germantown mural a result of common effort to honor uncommon spirituality

A large mural depicting doves, trees, a lotus flower and the phrase "Service Faith Justice" in six languages was unveiled yesterday at the Neighborhood Interfaith Movement's headquarters in Germantown, where residents gathered before the neighborhood's first piece of art invoking multiple congregations.

Inspired by an evolving spiritual landscape, the 17-by-60 foot painting is a joint effort by the city's Mural Arts Program and the Neighborhood Interfaith Movement to establish a religious icon in the "City of Murals."

The mural's features represent 60 faiths, including symbols evoking nature to emphasize the commonality of human experience. Its vibrant colors span the west side of NIM's building at 7047 Germantown Ave.

"This was a great community to work in," said artist Paul Downie at the dedication ceremony, marking the completion of his six-month painting project in collaboration with mosaic and tile artist David Woods. "I got a lot of wonderful feedback during the process, and it was an added feature that this was so personal for people because it revolved around faith."

The mural joins 3,000 other murals and pieces of public art in Philadelphia.

"The mural gives dignity and respect to people while giving everyone a voice, which is why I love it," said Jane Golden, executive director of the Mural Arts Program. "While we've done spiritual projects in the past, what's new about this is that it involves so many congregations, almost 180 individuals and organizations to be exact."

Founded in 1984, the mural program has projects in more than 100 communities each year.

For Dan Spicer, a Mt. Airy resident and Buddhist, who worked with Downie and Wood on the last stages of the mural, the art represents a new spirituality, the kind that his spiritual leader, Thich Nhat Hahn, has advocated: "Whenever I tell people about Philly I talk about the Mural Arts Program. One thing that's neat is the agreement it represents for communities. What's now on the wall here is hardly being done anywhere in North America. It's a gift to the city and a great honor for me to be part of the process."