Streets Dept has been thrilled to partner with PHILADELPHIA250 and local street artist Symone Salib to install an exciting wheatpaste poster campaign with artworks created by four local artists, Yannick Lowery, Keisha Whatley, Elaine Knox, and Jaz Morse! The wheatpastes, which we installed around the city in August, invite Philadelphians to engage in the important anniversary that our city–and the country–will be celebrating in 2026. 

“The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is the city’s next big moment, thanks to Philly‘s historic role in the founding of this country,” PHILADELPHIA250’s Director of Programs Jane Grabias wrote to me in email. “As the birthplace of American democracy, we believe Philly has a unique responsibility to serve as a model for active civic participation, where people come together to imagine and create new futures–futures that will now include all of us.” 

And for this milestone, Jane explains that the project is centering perspectives from Philadelphians: “For the 250th, PHILADELPHIA250 is creating a people’s commemoration, one that centers the diverse voices and experiences of Philadelphians and respects the many viewpoints that people bring to this moment. So it’s vastly important to Philadelphia–and by extension, the country–because it is a once-in-a-generation moment to reset and chart a new path forward.”

The wheatpastes for this project adapted artwork and prompts originally created for a PHILADELPHIA250 Dare to Declare card deck. The cards and the artwork are a creative way to get people thinking and talking about what the ideas of the Declaration mean today. Jane explains, “Let’s shake the dust off of this 250 year document and reexamine its core ideas with new eyes and from our present-day point of view–what’s important to me, to you, to us, when it comes to freedom, happiness, and prosperity? We hope to recapture the optimism of the founders and remind ourselves that we have that same power to define and shape our future, to imagine new and better ways of being and doing.”

For the Dare to Declare artists, this anniversary and the eyes it will bring to the city are an opportunity to elevate histories that we hear less about. “Working on the project with PHILADELPHIA250 required research on the different aspects of Philly and it was my job to figure out which voices I should amplify,” said artist Jaz Morse as they walked us through how they approached the project. “It was important for me to refrain from overly saturated stories like the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin, and focus on diverse stories that shaped neighborhoods and culture of Philly.”

One of the artworks was created by Yannick Lowery, who hopes to inspire Philadelphians today by uplifting a lesser known historical figure from our city’s past: “A large component of my practice has been focused on inspiring revolutionary thinking while reimagining Philadelphia. Prior to working on this illustration I discovered the work of Caroline Le Count and was immediately inspired by her story which has often been overlooked due to the fame of her partner Octavius Catto. Very few photos of Caroline Le Count exist, so when approaching the design, I chose to use a Victorian-style silhouette. The portrait outlines a Black woman, dressed in white, stepping onto a streetcar signifying the step Caroline paved for transportation equity. Her silhouette is framed in a decadent illustration from a Civil War-era music sheet. On it, songs of freedom and rebellion are written between motifs of perseverance. Finally, I added a small crowd to gaze at Le Count to encourage the viewer to do the same as an example of how they can take revolutionary steps in their own lives and communities.” 

We installed the posters on any common and empty street art spaces we found on a day-long drive around the city. Because of the ephemeral nature of street art, it’s unlikely most of these installations are still up, so we won’t be listing their locations. But feel free to sleuth their locations from the photos! 

For Jane, who joined Symone and I as we put up the posters, this project takes on a special purpose: “For me personally, I see this anniversary as a way to engage people in conversation about who we are and what we care about, and help us develop a stronger sense of empathy toward one another and our different life experiences. I’d also love to see us channel the energy from this moment to power us to take action, to get involved in making our city run better and serve everyone–that would be amazing.” 

“An anniversary is a time to reflect on history and to decide what comes next,” Yannick added. “Taking a closer look at Philadelphia, I hope people realize that this city was the blueprint for most of the East Coast and established much of the infrastructure for American society, flaws and all. The hope is that with such a rich history, this city can learn from its mistakes and become an example once again for the future.”

And for Jaz, it’s as straightforward as this: “Philly has and will always be that Gurl! Give Philadelphia its flowers! The original D.C. The birth of hundreds of singers, actors, writers, music, and activists.”

It can be hard to imagine now, but in 2026 the world’s eyes will be on Philadelphia for this anniversary. For me, the closest we’ve come to this kind of attention might have been the Pope’s 2015 visit. Some folks might remember the 1976 bicentennial, but by all accounts I’ve heard, Philly didn’t quite take full advantage of that moment. 

When 2026 gets here, the proverbial (and literal) stages for this world platform will have been built. That’s why I really admire projects like PHILADELPHIA250, who are inviting Philadelphians to begin engaging this opportunity now. So that we can have an anniversary led by community rather than committee.

If this peaks your interest, which if you’ve read this far–it must! Click here to learn more about how you can get involved today.