PRESS RELEASE: Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) to unveil its fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) public art mural - SDG#10 Reduced Inequalities

Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) to unveil its fourth
Sustainable Development  Goal (SDG) public art mural - SDG#10 Reduced Inequalities, sponsored by Temple  University’s Office of International Affairs 

Unveiling Ceremony will take place on November 9, 2021
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm  
Temple’s Science Education Research Center 

 Media Contacts:  

GPA – Graziella DiNuzzo – 609-680-7670 – [email protected]
Temple University – Lisa Meritz – 215-204-2314 – [email protected]

As part of its overall commitment to anti-racism initiatives, Temple University will install  the mural, created by Temple alum, artist and muralist Mat Tomezsko (’09), on an  outdoor wall at Anderson Hall. Fulfilling a second aspect of the project, the university  will also provide a grant to its IDEAL (Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and  Leadership) Office to help combat racism. 

PHILADELPHIA (November 2, 2021) – On November 9, 2021, GPA will join with SDG #10 Reduced Inequalities sponsor, Temple University Office of International  Affairs (OIA), to unveil artist Mat Tomezsko’s mural, entitled “Revolutionary  Philadelphia.” The piece is a collaborative artwork created by Tomezsko, a 2009 alumnus  of Temple’s Tyler,School of Art, together with local high school students from this summer Temple University Community Collaborative (UCC) Class, “Revolutionary  Philadelphia.”

The students researched and discussed local figures who made revolutionary  contributions to civil rights, criminal justice, racial inequality, LGBTQ+ rights, public  health and more. The UCC in Temple’s College of Liberal Arts offers a series of  afterschool and summer programs, aimed at fostering high school students’ confidence, leadership and self-esteem.

Artist Mat Tomezsko standing in front of his SDG#10 Mural  

For each SDG mural that is created, GPA considers five partnership components: the  sponsor, the host site, the artist, the giving of a project grant to a non-profit, and an  accompanying academic project. OIA chose Temple IDEAL (Institutional, Diversity,  Equity, Advocacy and Leadership) Office as the recipient of its project grant. 

In 2019, GPA initiated its broad public mural art initiative to reflect each of the United  Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in murals around Philadelphia.  

“The progress of humanity doesn’t occur overnight; instead, it is a series of gradual  changes,” said Vice President of the Office of International Affairs Hai-Lung Dai. “Human prejudices are always present and that means we must confront them,” added  Dai explaining the role of Temple’s SDG mural on Reduced Inequalities in confronting  these prejudices. 

“The conversation engendered by the sustainable development goal project is key to  highlighting our globally engaged city and the many important partners involved in  meaningful projects to improve Philadelphia for and with its citizenry,” said Zabeth  Teelucksingh, Executive Director, Global Philadelphia Association. 

To date GPA has completed the following SDG murals:  

#5 – Gender Equality
Sponsor: Glenmede Trust 
Artist: Barbara Smolen
Non-profit recipient: The Gender Justice Fund 
Mural location: 17th Street side of Friends Select School, 17th and JFK Blvd., Phil. PA  

#1 No Poverty
Sponsors: John and Susan Smith 
Artist: Gabe Tiberino
Non-profit recipient: Education, Culture Opportunities Foundation (ECO)
Mural location: 1575 N. 52nd Street and Jefferson, Philadelphia, PA 19131 

#4 Quality Education
Sponsor: St. Joseph’s University
Two Murals: 
Artist: Isabella Akhtarshenas (Gompers School) and Arthur Haywood, SJU campus 
Drexel Library (to be installed Spring ’22)
Non-profit recipient: Samuel Gompers School
Mural location: Samuel Gompers School, 5701 Wynnefield Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131 

#10 Reduced Inequalities
Sponsor: Temple University Office of International Affairs
Artist: Mat Tomezsko
Non-profit recipient: Temple IDEAL (Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and  Leadership)
Mural location: Gladfelter Hall, Temple University campus  

SDG Mural unveilings coming soon: 

#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
Sponsor: TD Bank Foundation
Artist: Nazeer Sabree
Non-profit recipient: Mission First Housing Group
Mural location: TBD 

#16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Sponsor: Halloran Family Foundation
Artist: Russell Craig
Non-profit recipient: Project Home
Mural location: TBD 

About Mat Tomezsko 

Philadelphia artist Mat Tomezsko creates public art installations and community art  projects. His work was recognized by the 2017 Americans for the Arts Public Art  Network Year in Review. His high-profile public art projects include: 14 Movements: A  Symphony in Color and Words, a mile-long temporary mural installed in downtown  Philadelphia during the 2016 Democratic National Convention; Look Long and Look  Good, a series of 30 paintings currently installed along Main Street in Manayunk; and  Flowering Axes, a mural in the 5th Street Vehicular Tunnel underneath the Ben Franklin  Bridge. Read More

About Temple University and Its Office of International Affairs  

Temple University, a Pennsylvania state-supported public university, with a Carnegie R1  Very High research activity ranking, is a center of excellence in teaching and research. The university has a strong international presence and a commitment to community. 

Our talented faculty lead more than 500 academic programs across 17 schools and  colleges, and on campuses and partnerships that span the globe, from Rome to Japan.  While retaining our attention to the great city of Philadelphia that is our home, Temple  draws students from the region, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States  and around the world. 

Today, more than 38,000 dynamic and diverse students call Temple their educational  home. Temple is among the nation’s largest educators in the combined fields of dentistry,  law, medicine, pharmacy, and podiatry. The university’s extraordinary faculty offer  world-class teaching and experiences, while our researchers are engaged in solving the  most difficult issues that we face today, from eliminating HIV/AIDS to helping  communities deal with the impact of climate change.

More than 130 years after its creation, Temple continues to carry forward the vision of  founder, Russell Conwell, who made his university the embodiment of its motto,  “Perseverance Conquers.” 

The Office of International Affairs leads Temple's international initiatives, promoting  globalization as one of Temple's core values. The office brings together various  constituencies and units, working to integrate a global perspective throughout Temple's  academic and co-curricular programs. International.temple.edu

About Global Philadelphia Association 

The Global Philadelphia Association consists of more than 200 internationally involved  organizations, businesses, and individuals in Greater Philadelphia. It was created to assist  – and to encourage greater interaction among – the many organizations and people who  are engaged in international activity in the Greater Philadelphia Region, to promote the  development of an international consciousness within the area, and to enhance  Philadelphia’s global profile. For more information, visit website: globalphiladelphia.org