About this Event
Join Mural Arts Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, and Center City District to celebrate Steve “ESPO” Powers’ latest mural in Philadelphia with a special poetry reading by past and present Philadelphia Youth Poet Laureates.
A renowned Philadelphia-born artist known for his iconic Love Letter mural series, ESPO returns to the city with a new work inspired by Mae V. Cowdery (1901–1948), a Philadelphia poet whose writing was part of the Harlem Renaissance. A Valentine For Mae V. Cowderyfeatures lines from Cowdery’s poem “Nameless,” wrapped across several buildings on Ranstead Street in Center City.
The mural is ESPO’s contribution to Throughlines, a citywide public art exhibition that invites us to explore how democracy has taken shape in Philadelphia from 1776 to the present.
*A Valentine For Mae V. Cowdery © 2026 City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program / Steve Powers, 1500 Block of Ranstead Street. Photo by Steve Weinik.
Event venue & nearby stays
1598 Ranstead St, 1598 Ranstead Street, Philadelphia, United States
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