Arcadia University’s Division Civic and Global Engagement has received $7,500 from Campus Philly and the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) as part of Campus250, a regional initiative commemorating America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. The funds will be used to restore and create murals at two SEPTA underpasses, ensuring long-lasting public art that reflects the country’s heritage and evolving identity.

“In partnership with the Glenside Civic Association, and in collaboration with Cheltenham and Abington Townships, local neighbors and Arcadia students will not only participate directly in design sessions and volunteer days, but will also enjoy the murals as permanent community landmarks, deepening their sense of connection to place,” Dr. Alison LaLond Wyant, executive director of Civic and Global Engagement, said. 

The project includes restoring the Easton Road mural, which was originally created through the Arcadia Public Art Project in 2017, and creating a new mural at the Keswick Avenue underpass. Volunteers will also plant native perennials at the Keswick Avenue underpass to replace a garden lost to SEPTA construction. 

Initial planning meetings will be held in January, followed by design sessions in February and March. The design sessions will include tables covered with brown paper, with crayons available for people to share their ideas in small groups and aloud.

After receiving feedback from the community on a draft design at the annual Glenside Arts Festival at the end of April, work will commence in May. LaLond Wyant hopes the project will be completed by July 2026.

“The guiding design question—’How does Glenside represent ‘America the Beautiful?’—will frame community design sessions and volunteer days, inviting broad participation and meaningful dialogue,” she explained. “It will be great to have the mural at the Easton Road underpass restored in time for the annual Glenside 4th of July Parade, which marches right through that underpass.”

Campus250’s mission is to showcase Greater Philadelphia’s history, culture, and innovation through higher education and community collaboration. Funding for Campus250 grants was made possible through the generosity of the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, which supports initiatives that highlight Greater Philadelphia’s unique role in the nation’s history and future.

It feels amazing, and also appropriate, that public art is included in the America 250 Celebration, said Arts Event & Marketing Coordinator David Guinn, who will lead the restoration of the Easton Road underpass. “In many ways, history is told through the marks we make in our communities, in our country. It’s exciting that we can refresh the mural on Easton Rd at this moment. At its roots the mural is a story of Glenside, and we want  to continue to tell that story to reinforce our shared local heritage.”

“Campus250 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to spotlight how higher education and community partners across Greater Philadelphia are helping to tell our nation’s story, and shape its next chapter,” said Dr. Jennifer Johnson Kebea, President of Campus Philly. “These first-round projects reflect the energy, diversity, and innovation that make our region the birthplace of democracy and a living classroom for civic engagement.”