BSR_S10E34 - Conrad Benner - Streets Dept
Celebrating 15 Years of Public Art and Community Engagement - A Conversation with Conrad Benner
Join us as we explore the vibrant art scene in Philadelphia with Conrad Benner, founder of Streets Department, a platform dedicated to documenting and promoting public art for over 15 years. Discover insights about community-led projects, the impact of murals, and the future of urban art and media.
Timestamps:
00:04 - Introduction and overview of Philadelphia’s thriving art scene
01:17 - Conrad’s role and daily work with Streets Department
02:30 - The podcast journey and collaborations with WHYY and ROHOM
03:44 - Discussing the importance of long-form conversations and media independence
06:27 - Social media strategies: humor, virality, and community storytelling
07:47 - Supporting artists and public art through independent platforms and Patreon
11:45 - Highlights of key projects and impactful moments over 15 years
13:01 - The influence of community-led murals and public art programs
14:00 - The success of the 24/7 transit petition and its impact
15:02 - Public transit challenges and advocacy in Philadelphia
16:53 - Broader issues: taxes, infrastructure, and city funding
18:10 - The power of urban planning and rail infrastructure in Philadelphia
19:34 - The significance of murals and community stories in public spaces
21:14 - Future aspirations: writing a book and expanding public art projects
24:30 - Upcoming mural projects celebrating LGBTQ+ leaders in the Gayborhood
29:23 - The enduring importance of storytelling, conversation, and community engagement
About Streets Dept
Founded as a photo-blog in January 2011, Streets Dept has grown into a multi-platform showcase of Philadelphia public art and public space. We discover and celebrate commissioned and non-commissioned art on the streets and in the public spaces of Philadelphia. And sometimes we also curate it! We believe deeply that the public space has a profound effect on us as individuals and on our city as a whole, and our purpose is to explore how all of us build and use public spaces creatively. You can find our work here on the blog, across social media (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Threads), on our Patreon, in our publications, on our monthly walking tours, and, of course, on the streets.
Streets Dept was the winner of the Philadelphia Geek Award for ‘Geek Culture Journalism’ (2011); named one of the ‘Best Blogs for Travellers’ by The Guardian (2013); beat out the one-and-only Gritty to win of the ‘Never Delete Your Account‘ award at the first annual Billy Penn awards, The Billies (2019); and has been notably mentioned by Time Magazine (2011), Encyclopedia Britannica (2012), Instagram (2014), Mashable (2015), Thrillist (2016), Philadelphia Style Magazine (2016), Philly Voice (2016), Highsnobiety (2017), Curbed National (2017), Travel + Leisure (2018), Artblog (2019), South Philly Review (2021), 6 ABC (2021), Philadelphia Museum of Art (2021), Philadelphia Gay News (2022), Philadelphia Magazine (2022), The Philadelphia Inquirer (2023), NBC’s 1st Look (2023), and The New York Times (2023), among others!
About Conrad Benner, Founder/Editor
Conrad Benner is the Founder/Editor of StreetsDept.com. A Fishtown, Philadelphia born-and-raised photo-blogger, curator (Streets Dept Walls and Mural Arts Philadelphia), and podcaster (WHYY’s Art Outside), Conrad’s work explores the art of our public spaces and the artists who create it.
Resources & Links:
Connect with Conrad Benner:
Follow us and our links here:
