Jane Golden is a renowned artist and the founder and executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia (Mural Arts). She holds a master's degree in Fine Arts from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and a degree in Fine Arts and Political Science from Stanford University. Jane has made a name for herself by creating more than 3800 works of public art through innovative collaborations with community organizations, municipal agencies, non-profit organizations, schools, the private sector, and philanthropic organizations. The journey of Mural Arts began in 1984 when Jane Golden contacted Tim Spencer, who ran the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, to add a program called Umbrella. In 1995, the Mural Art Program commissioned Philadelphia artist Diane Keller to paint a multi-story mural of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo on Ninth and Montrose Streets, near the city's Italian market.
This was followed by then-mayor Ed Rendell restructuring the Anti-Graffiti Network in 1997, which eventually supported the creation of the Mural Arts Program under Jane's direction. In 1998, Jane Golden established Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates, a nonprofit organization to work together with the city and raise funds to support the program. During the 2001—2004 Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, the Mural Art Program painted more than 600 murals in Philadelphia. This success was recognized by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation awarding the Innovation in the United States Government Award to Philadelphia for the success of the Mural Art Project. The purpose of this visit was to demonstrate how the murals have inspired regeneration in the West Philadelphia neighborhood. Through these partnerships, Jane Golden has developed innovative and rigorous arts education programs for young people, restorative justice, and behavioral health, which have made it possible for thousands of people to experience and witness the power of art. Jane Golden is an expert in urban transformation through art.
She has overseen a series of increasingly complex, ambitious and award-winning public art projects that have made her an inspiration for many. Her work has been instrumental in creating more than 4000 works of public art through innovative collaborations with community organizations, municipal agencies, non-profit organizations, schools, the private sector, and philanthropic organizations.
