Using Art To Lift Homeless, Enhance Transit
Mural Arts Philadelphia’s innovative Color Me Back program offers people experiencing economic and/or housing insecurity an opportunity to make art, earn same-day pay and access social services. In partnership with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), the program reimagines the transit agency’s public spaces with a series of colorful murals adorning its walls and concrete columns. Participants in the program engage with outreach specialists who link them with support services, including social and behavioral health services and potential longer-term employment. Learn how Color Me Back positions art as a catalyst for change to create healthier, stronger and more beautiful communities.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
Jane Golden
Mural Arts Philadelphia
Nadia Malik
Mural Arts Philadelphia
Leslie S. Richards
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)