Jane Golden

“You have to always take risks…One has to be always eager to learn, to take chances, to stretch and leap beyond the bounds of what you thought was possible.”

Jane Golden is the founder and executive director of the internationally-renown Mural Arts Philadelphia. Raised in Margate, New Jersey, she attended Stanford University and then moved to Los Angeles. Enamored by the murals there, Jane received a small grant to paint one in Santa Monica. That experience showed her the power and importance of mural painting and inspired her life’s work. Back East, Jane was hired to be part of the Anti-Graffiti Network in Philadelphia. She worked with hundreds of graffiti artists who sought respect, admiration, and legitimate careers as artists. That venture eventually led to a new, public art initiative for the City of Philadelphia, then known as the Mural Arts Program. Jane has overseen the organization's growth from a small city agency into the nation’s largest public art program, producing over 4,000 works of public art to date. A global model, Mural Arts collaborates with community-based organizations, city agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, courts, prisons, and serves close to 10,000 people every year. Jane teaches at the University of Pennsylvania and Moore College of Art, has co-authored three books about Mural Arts Philadelphia, and has won several prestigious awards and honorary PhDs. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, a documentary filmmaker, and two cats.

What does leadership mean to you?

 “Leadership means that you are humble and kind, that you are always open to learning, that you know you should never stop learning and growing. I also think leadership means you are willing to surround yourself with others who know more than you and that you can admit when you have the ability to course correct and learn from your mistakes. Humility matters.  Leadership also means you need to outwork everyone and be fine with that and not demand the same pace from  others. that you understand your commitment and never do less, that you work tirelessly, that you do everything you can to live out your core values. Being a leader means that you are empathic and gracious and create an atmosphere of mutual respect and civility.  And you understand that you need to care not just about external relations but internal ones as well.”

HOW DOES INNOVATION INFLUENCE YOUR WORK? 

“I think the innovation influences my work because I believe two things: One, you have to always take risks. You cannot stand still. One has to be always eager to learn, to take chances, to stretch and leap beyond the bounds of what you thought was possible. I also think we need to be cognizant of the fact that our traditional interventions will fail us so we constantly need to embrace new ways of thinking, creativity and our imagination.  I would say I am constantly looking for new ways of working in public space as well as new ways of teaching, inspiring, exchanging knowledge, etc. Our work is infinitely enriched by others around Philadelphia, the US and beyond.”

Biography:

I always loved art and painted a lot when I was young. I grew up in Margate New Jersey and often came to Philadelphia to study art at PMA. After high school I attend Stanford University and then moved down to Los Angeles. There I saw the most beautiful murals ever and decided that I wanted to try to paint a mural. I applied and received a small (very small - $300) grant to paint a large mural in Santa MOnica. Painting that wall was so inspiring and it showed me the power of mural painting. Art should be for everyone and I learned it then. I eventually came back east and was hired to be part of the Anti-Graffiti Network. There I worked with hundreds of graffiti writers and started what would late become Mural Arts. AntiGraffiti closed in 1996 and then 1998,  I was appointed to lead a new public art initiative for the city, called the Mural Arts Program. I have overseen its growth from a small city agency into the nation’s largest public art program. It is now a model for transforming public space and community through art. We also have built our programmatic departments where we are now serving close to 10,000 people every year.  Mural Arts has created over 4,000 works of public art through collaborations with community-based organizations, city agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, courts, prisons, everywhere. I also teach at the University of Pennsylvania and Moore College of Art. I have a wonderful husband who is a documentary filmmaker, a dog and two cats. I live in Spring Garden and I absolutely love Philadelphia.