ArtsNow, the nonprofit local arts agency serving Summit County, is thrilled to announce Jane Golden, founder and executive director of the internationally-renown Mural Arts Philadelphia, will speak during a free, virtual event on Thurs., Feb. 18, 2021.

Jane Golden has been the driving force of Mural Arts Philadelphia since its inception in 1984, overseeing its growth from a small city agency into the nation’s largest public art program and a global model for transforming public space and community through art. Under her direction, Mural Arts has created over 4,000 works of public art through innovative collaborations with community-based organizations, city agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, the private sector, and philanthropies.

Curated by Jane, this 90-minute virtual tour and Zoom call will showcase the transformative power of art on public space and community. A limited number of virtual seats are available for the intimate Zoom on Feb., 18, at 7:00 PM. The Zoom call is expected to sell out, but the event will be also be live-streamed on ArtsNow’s Facebook page.

“We are incredibly excited to hear from Jane and learn from her extensive expertise in this field while experiencing the world class murals of Philadelphia,” states Nicole Mullet, executive director of ArtsNow. “She is sought after nationally and internationally as an expert on urban transformation through art, and we are grateful for the ongoing partnership with Mural Arts as we work to integrate deeper levels of public art into the culture and heart of Akron.”

To register for the Zoom call, please visit bit.ly/jane-golden.

This programming is the launch of a year-long calendar of events exploring public art locally, nationally, and internationally and advances the priorities in the City of Akron’s Cultural Plan. For more on the Cultural Plan, or to contribute your own success stories, please visit AkronCulturalPlan.com.