City's on its toes, producing dance mural

Images of dancers in midair leaps, turns and kicks will soon grace a 50,000-square-foot mural titled How Philly Moves, on the walls of parking garages facing Interstate 95 at Philadelphia International Airport.

"This mural will provide a spectacular first impression of our city," said Mayor Nutter, alluding to the nearly 32 million passengers who take international, national and commuter flights in and out of the airport each year.

The 18-month mural project will be painted on the exterior of the parking garages for terminals A through F and is expected to be dedicated in June 2011.

Philadelphia-based photographer Jacques-Jean "JJ" Tiziou designed the project, based on his photos of 70 dancers in action, and will produce the immense mural, in conjunction with 35 artists and others in the Mural Arts Program, city workforce development and reentry initiatives.

"Every viewer can see his or herself somewhere among these dancers," said Tiziou, a native of Washington, D.C., born to French parents. "People who love to dance, love the movement and excitement."

Another 60 dancers will be photographed on March 5-7 at the Painted Bride Art Center on Vine Street near 3rd. All the participants in the two photo sessions will be in a permanent exhibit inside the airport, if not on the walls.

Professional dancers, or those who like to dance, can apply to be in the photo sessions. Applications are on Web sites: mural- arts.org, or HowPhillyMoves. org.

The idea for the transformation came from Rina Cutler, deputy mayor for transportation, who was stuck in traffic on I-95, looking at the blank parking garages.

"This was a perfect canvas for a gateway to the city project, so I called Jane Golden to discuss a collaboration," said Cutler.

Golden, executive director of the Mural Arts Program, which has produced 3,000 murals in the city, said the project "gives us a fantastic opportunity to greet the world with our most creative foot forward."

The $225,000 project is being funded by the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which runs the garages, Philadelphia International Airport, Bank of America and US Airways.