October 12, 2016
Local artists looking for a place to showcase their work and earn a hefty prize are invited to submit a mural design concept to South Philadelphia's new GreenDrop charitable donation center, which launched last month on South Street.
To honor the city's Mural Arts Month, the drive-up donation service is searching for a graffiti-inspired concept to grace the facade of its 2300 South Street location, the company's first in Philadelphia County and 14th in the Delaware Valley.
"Obviously, a lot of our work focuses on charities and recycling, so anything with that kind of focus would stand out," said Sarah Weyland, a representative for GreenDrop. "It's really up to the artist's interpretation, though. We want to give students an opportunity to expand their portfolio."
The winner of the contest will receive a $2,500 prize to help further their arts education.
"We’re proud to officially engage the Philadelphia community, and look forward to making the South Street site stand out in a way that is unique to the city,” says Tony Peressini, CEO of GreenDrop. “Along with striving to do good by our partner charities and the environment, we aim to support the communities we operate in, and here, in Philadelphia, we are starting by making a young artist’s dream come true—seeing their work forever etched into the city’s landscape.”
For those unfamiliar with how GreenDrop works, lightly used clothing and household items (with the exception of large furniture, appliances and tube TVs) can be taken to a donation center where one of several partnering charities is picked to receive funds through the sale of those goods at affiliated local thrift shops.
In Philadelphia, partnering charities include the Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Federation of the Blind, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul of Philadelphia and the American Red Cross.
Store hours on South Street are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Artist submissions can be sent to greendropit@gmail.com.
