Josh Sarantitis

Josh Sarantitis Has been creating Murals in Philadelphia for over 20 years. I feel the best way to explain him and his work is to show his mission statement from his website - I believe involving people in the creative process can transform lives, which is why participation and collaboration are key elements to my work. Hands on experience teaches people what their creative potential can be, connecting them with the creative process and demystifying the barriers to accessing and producing art. Through holistic, meditative approaches my work showcases what people can do with their hands to strengthen communities and sustain vibrant neighborhood life. In all of my projects I seek to connect/hire local people to opportunities that enhance their quality of life from teaching hands-on creative skills to providing real job skills in the arts.

Here we have a pre-teen hold a stem from a plant with a gray and dull Philly back drop. I feel this speaks that our children are left with fixing the wrongs in which we have caused to the planet.

Titled Lincoln's Legacy, we have a young black boy with hope and perseverance in his eyes. Around him are symbols of the previous 400 years that led up to this point.

Through education and arts we can help our children to become strong adults that can not only lead the future but use their imagination to create something better.

Here is an explanation of the piece by Explore PA - The mural features an African American girl reaching for the sky, a towering tree sprouting from her up-stretched hands. The girl has roots instead of veins running through her arms. In the bottom left corner looms a small collection of more ominous images, including an abandoned car and boarded-up buildings. Symbolically the painting is a testament to the value of human aspiration, a visual homage to the notion of dreaming it and achieving it."