Perspective: With frayed posters, an artist cries out, 'Stop Penn'

A 2001 poster reacts to a Penn proposal to move the 40th and Walnut streets McDonalds. Its artist has been working on the new set of posters.

They almost blend into the background - posters as worn and dirt-splattered as the grafittied walls that wear them.

Yet the messages proclaimed by two versions of anti-Penn posters currently plastered across West Philadelphia are anything but passive or forgotten.

One version is general, graphically depicting Penn as a tentacled monster and urging it to keep its hands off West Philadelphia.

In large block lettering, the second version recalls Black Bottom - an area that Penn developed during the 1950s and 1960s, displacing a number of local residents - and cautions against West Philly being "next."

Since they appeared on the streets last fall, the posters have been torn down, grafittied themselves and labeled vague and ungrounded by critics both within and outside the University.

But for the artists - two West Philadelphia residents - and those with objections to Penn's influence in the region, these posters serve both as markers of solidarity and reminders of a fight against the University that, despite having lost some momentum, is far from finished.

Signs From the Past

Though they are a recent addition to the West Philadelphia scenery, these posters are conceptually derived from a print developed and distributed by one of the artists years ago.

According to Rev. Larry Falcon - a West Philadelphia resident for over 30 years - original versions of the poster emerged in about 2001; around this time, some West Philadelphia residents were forming a resistance to a Penn proposal that would move the McDonald's at 40th and Walnut streets to 43rd and Market streets.

Eventually, the proposal was withdrawn due to local opposition and the discovery of chemical contaminants at the Market Street site, but remnants of the cause lived on through the unification of anti-Penn activists in a group entitled "Neighbors against McPenntrification," led by Falcon, and through a batch of posters distributed by the group to local businesses.

The posters, Falcon said, were crafted by a member of NAM who originally printed about 50 copies on brown butcher paper.

Unlike the current posters, the sheets distributed six years ago featured a portrayal of Penn as an octopus hovering over 40th Street. With menacing eyebrows and pink fangs, the symbol bore a similar message to the one the current posters promote: Stop UPenn, hands off our neighborhood.

Falcon said that, though the posters were not commissioned by NAM and were entirely the artist's initiative, they soon caught on among businesses and community members who shared these sentiments.

"We put them up in the windows, especially along 40th Street," Falcon said of the posters, which included his contact information. "People came by and wanted to buy" them.

And Roger Richards, a member of both NAM and Friends of 40th Street - a Penn-led group that works to bring retail to the 40th Street corridor - said that the same artistic elements and anonymity which attracted people to the original print hold true for the posters currently circulating.

"We can all make educated guesses [about the posters], but I don't many people who know very much about it."

And the artists intend for it to stay that way.

Building a Movement

Updating and redisseminating the anti-McPenntrification print is a task that the original artist, who asked to remain anonymous due to the illegality of the postings, had long planned to complete.

Not intended to antagonize, the revamped posters "come from a place of frustration," the artist said, and "worrying about what is happening to your neighborhoods and your friends who live across the street from you."

She said that, in particular, she and her partner aim to express opposition to the method of development in West Philadelphia, not the existence of it.

Specifically, she said, higher rent prices force individuals to leave their homes, and local businesses get forced out by national chains that are willing to pay higher prices for retail space, particularly along areas like the 40th Street corridor.

"Cities need this, but what I see happening and what a lot of people are concerned about is how that development and redevelopment ends up excluding the very people who have been here the whole time," she said.

Accordingly, the artist said that one of the most rewarding aspects of creating the posters has been talking with people in the community while posting them.

"I remember this one girl's face being like, 'There are people out here doing this thing that we believe in' - that's one of the things that I love about it."

So much so that, in addition to the 200 prints currently posted, she and a friend are planning a new batch, created through silk screening.

"I am an artist, for sure, but it is hard for me to not make work that addresses or deals with a lot of the things that I am concerned about. . They ended up being part of the same story."

Gauging a Reaction

But because the posters are primarily plastered across telephone poles and abandoned buildings north of Market Street and south of Baltimore Avenue, there is a chance that the story will fail to reach the characters it implicates.

Even some Penn officials directly involved in partnering with West Philadelphia were not aware of the posters prior to being interviewed for this article.

Glenn Bryan, Penn's assistant vice president for community relations, said that, while signage is not the most popular form of protest against Penn, the ideas presented are not unfamiliar.

"We don't see this that often, but there are community groups that have not-positive sentiments toward the University's practices," Bryan said.

And as for Penn's reaction to claims that they should stop interfering in the area?

"We are part of West Philadelphia, and that's the response," Bryan said.

Tony Sorrentino, the University's spokesman for facilities and real estate, said that the University currently does not have any development projects west of 40th Street, and that its relation to West Philadelphia is not grounded in real-estate ventures, but rather in community partnerships.

Additionally, Sorrentino acknowledged that the development focus for the University in the coming years will likely be on the postal lands - a 42-acre plot adjacent to Penn's eastern edge.

Regardless of this turn to the Schuylkill, the University's general influence is what is causing activists to stand behind the posters for the second time.

"I think that community activists are greatly encouraged that there is still someone out there fighting," Rogers said.

David Onion, a West Philadelphia resident and member of the Defenestrator, a local anarchist newspaper, agreed that the artists' gestures are still relevant.

"Most people I know are pretty sympathetic to the posters," Onion said.

He added that the support for the current signage stems from local individuals - such as the artists themselves - who object to the area's rising cost of living, which he said is attributable to Penn.

Currently, Penn is not directly acquiring properties west of 40th Street. However, it is a financial supporter of the University City District, a local non-profit group dedicated to preserving the safety, businesses and attractions of the University City area.

The rise in housing costs in the area has been attributed to UCD's efforts to make the area more upscale.

"If doing the work of University City District can make University City cleaner and safer, and as a result prices are being driven up, that is out of our control," said Lori Klein Brennan, a spokeswoman for UCD.

Brennan added that, while she has not seen the posters herself, it is illegal for groups to hang posters in the area without official licensing.

Still, the audacity of the work contributes to its effect, Rogers said.

"I think it has raised an eyebrow," he said. "I think it has reawakened an interest against the campaign against uncontrolled development."

Comments (15)

Ah, Rev. Falcon is at it again. Excuse me? Penn did NOT try to move the McDonald's to 43rd - MCDONALDS tried to move there! The "Rev" should have taken it up with McDonalds, not Penn. He's grasping at straws here. 43rd and Market is near "Rev"s house, that's the only reason he didn't want the McDonalds move. So the "rev" doesn't want McDonalds, Penn, or clean, safe housing in his backyard. What's next, atheists?

Penn can't win for losing....if they did nothing at all, these activists would complain that the University is neglecting its responsibilities to the neighborhood. Columbia is going through the same issues right now in Harlem, as it tries to expand its campus. When a student gets held up at gunpoint on the front steps of his house, how do you expect the school to respond? What have these rabble-rousers done to improve the safety and quality of life in West Philly?

i agree, dmitry; wasn't here in 2001, but west philly residents were protesting the migration of a mcdonald's? what's local about that?

My God, the University is trying to do something right - develop West Philly in concert with the community and these so called "organizers" are biting the hand that feeds them. Sure, if the garbage is cleaned up and shootings don't happen, real estate prices will go up - that's inevitable. But what's the alternative - let the robberies and shootings go on as is and leave West Philly languishing like it has been for years? I sometimes feel some people just need something to protest about to be happy in life. Disgusting...

No one is entitled to have "their" neighborhood remain free of change. The fact that property values have gone up in West Philadelphia is an ENTIRELY good thing- for Penn and West Philadelphia. It helps the residents who own property! No one is entitled to stable rent. Plain and simple: markets work. Why are we even talking about this?

The problem I see with West Philadelphia residents is that they want to eat their cake and have it too. It's undeniable that Penn has had such a positive impact in their lives by employing thousands of the residents of the area and pouring money into the development of the region. I'm sure the primary argument is over how much they have to pay because their neighborhood is getting better. But what is the alternative? Make the neighborhood worse and thus lower the property values? You could always put a toxic waste dump right next to the neighborhoods; that would lower the property values. Of course, this is a facetious remark. Then again, if the argument that Penn is offering help and aid to the community doesn't fly, how about the fact that Penn legally bought the property they are now developing on? Although I am unfamiliar with the details of the history of the region, even the West Philadelphians were not the true original residents of the region. Maybe Native Americans even have a case with the current occupants?

Krigman is upset because, in his words, "They want to make us pay for it through a mandatory surcharge on real estate taxes; this will hit property owners directly..." So, Krigman will become poorer. You're so much the Robin Hood, Anal. (Did I get my anatomy or my spelling wrong???) You know what real estate taxes go towards? Making neighborhoods and schools better. You know why yours are so (relatively) high? Because there is no tax base. The only owners are people like you who, please admit, are merely concerned about their check books and bank accounts. If you're so upset about the company you keep (your neighbors), then move to the suburbs and keep to yourself.

First of all, I think it is extremely counterproductive to use insults such as "silver-spoon Penn alumni" and "to the moron who says..." It shows that you have absolutely no respect for other peoples' opinions and that you certainly have trouble expressing yourself in a constructive manner. We should exchange information rather than try to embarass others on a public Internet forum. So if you want to have a debate, do it appropriately... It is clear that you are an angry person who may not even have a true connection to this issue. If you are a Penn student, you are hypocritically striking at the University that does its best to make your nightly walk home safer and improve your daily life in Philadelphia. If you are a West Philadelphia resident, please count your blessings and realize that Penn has opened up opportunities to the area that would not exist without this University. Certainly, many broad and sweeping civic improvements hurt smaller groups of people, who in this case MAY be West Philadelphia residents. You know what? That's capitalism. That's life in America. One does not have to be happy with his lot in life -- to the contrary, he can IMPROVE it using the resources around him! Who provides many of those? You guessed it...PENN. Penn has tried to improve the lives of many of these angry people. Without Penn, would these angry protestors have accomplished, Ivy League students giving their children academic assistance through the "West Philadelphia Tutoring Project?" Would their sons and daughters have a solid education without the elementary schools that Penn has founded? What about the Penn students leading Get Out the Vote initiatives around West Philly? What about the fact that Penn is the largest private employer in Philadelphia? It doesn't seem as if this school I love is all bad... Penn gives back plenty to this community, offering several resources that West Philadelphia residents have the opportunity to utilize in improving their lives. Leave Penn alone -- it may be a large and wealthy institution, but stop painting it in a manner that makes it looks like Monsanto...

Krigman: You're a complete hypocrite. You're always the first to criticize Penn when there's an article about West Philly, yet you have no issue taking Penn student's money as a landlord. How much would your properties be worth without the money Penn has spent on the neighborhood? Face the facts: you're nothing but a parasite feeding off of the University. For those residents and businesses that have not benefited from Penn's expansion, they have every right to complain about the NID and other University initiatives. For you its just giving up a few cents off of the millions you've made off of Penn's back. Get over yourself.

Those who think that the "community relations" people at Penn are really so much more intelligent and well-intentioned than us slobs who live and work here won't understand the objections. For those who do know what it's like to have Penn buy control of the area, not only non-University affiliates but also stdents and staff who don't want to live in a UA-type of structured environment, the criticisms voiced in this article are very real. The article didn't mention the Neighborhood Improvement District (NID). This is a nightmare that Penn, working through it's surrogate -- the University City District -- is trying to shove down the commuity's throats (or do I have the direction and the anatomy wrong?). Anyone who wants a little independence in their private lives, and who wants to preserve the lower-cost opportunities of decent off-campus housing (and I'm not talking about 40th & Locust), register your opposition to the NID with our local City Council Representative. Do it by going to Register your opposition to the NID via the Internet to Councilwoman Blackwell: www.iconworldwide.com/speakup ... or go directly to the form: http://www.iconworldwide.com/speakup/nonid-01.html

Genevieve, I don't think "these people" need to get over anything, especially since it is their neighborhood too. If you would spend some time actually talking to the residents of West Philly, you would understand why they are pissed off about their neighborhoods being taken over by the University. Penn is NOT the best thing to happen to West Philly, the good, honest, hardworking people that I encounter everyday are the best thing about this area. If more people would leave the cloister of the campus, they would see that there are nice parts of West Philly that Penn had absolutely nothing to do with.

All 5 of you are such typical silver-spoon Penn alumni. What else should Penn do? How about working WITH the people who live in the community to reduce problems, instead of merely forcing them out? Penn's notorious for, e.g., "purchasing" the lots of community-built gardens from absentee owners and paving over the hard work, hopes, and dreams of the residents in order to put in more parking. And to the moron who says "The people who can't afford the housing can go somewhere else and get over it," it's clear you've never wanted for anything in your life. Please go die, and leave all those assets you probably didn't earn to a local charity instead of to your fat, privileged family.

What will happen to West Philly rents once all of the new residential buildings closer to campus are complete? The three new apartment buildings East of 40th street will pull a lot of students out of the West Philly rental market, which should drive down market prices. Maybe these activists will get their wish after all and West Philly will become more affordable. I'm concerned that lower rents will attract not just law abiding citizans, but criminals as well. Has the University thought this through?

I agree with the sentiments posted. These people need to get over it. Penn is the best thing that ever happened to West Philly. Since when is making a community cleaner and safer a bad thing? The people who can't afford the housing can go somewhere else and get over it.

[QUOTE id="82fed5f9-f108-4319-8a1a-bedb19964932"]Ah, Rev. Falcon is at it again. Excuse me? Penn did NOT try to move the McDonald's to 43rd - MCDONALDS tried to move there! The "Rev" should have taken it up with McDonalds, not Penn. He's grasping at straws here. 43rd and Market is near "Rev"s house, that's the only reason he didn't want the McDonalds move. So the "rev" doesn't want McDonalds, Penn, or clean, safe housing in his backyard. What's next, atheists?[/QUOTE] Reply: Note that Mickey D's tore down the walls that separated the residents from their property. They did it in an ugly fashion, leaving the bricks strewn about. They did it because the residents actually had the gall to stand up to them. I have heard that some of the top brass at Penn would have their own pockets well-oiled by McDonalds if McDonalds had been successful (which they weren't). Let's hear it for the little guy! Go Rev. Bro!!! Grasp some more of those straws...you might actually pull up some more termites! The neighborhood is truly blessed to have you among them!

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