Alloyius McIlwaine ’04 just transformed an entire city block into a work of art.
His "Welcome to Philly" mural at 10th and Market, across from the Fashion District, measures 16 feet high by 150 feet long. Completed in early June, it features a host of iconic Philadelphia images, including Ben Franklin, the Liberty Bell, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, William Penn, a SEPTA bus, a cheesesteak, and many more.
Sponsored by a collection of respected Philadelphia institutions—including Comcast, the Flyers, the 76ers, the Streets Department, Center City District, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, and Mural Arts Philadelphia—the mural serves as a welcome to the city for visitors arriving for FIFA and the World Cup, says McIlwaine.
It is the latest demonstration of an artist at the peak of his talent. Since he graced the hallway of the Mullen Communication Center with his "Canticle of the Creatures" mural in 2018, he has completed projects for Bella magazine, the Philadelphia Eagles (including a limited-edition T-shirt for the Eagles Autism Foundation), Corona, Miller Lite, Maker’s Mark, Bel-Air (the sequel to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Peacock, NBC Universal, the NFL, Champion, Apple TV, and Netflix.
Along the way, he has painted a canvas during the Wu-Tang Clan’s final concert while they performed live, caught touchdown passes from Jalen Hurts in a flag football game, and received recognition from Jimmy Fallon and John Legend.
“I don’t have to do much marketing now,” he admits. “People contact me about projects.”
In April, Maker’s Mark even flew him to Kentucky—not to create art, but to be one of its taste influencers for a Pennsylvania-exclusive version of Maker’s Mark whiskey.
“We told them what Pennsylvania felt like to us,” explains McIlwaine, “and they created a flavor profile based on Pennsylvania's taste. When they release it, I’ll be doing some live art for the promotion.”
He has now painted more than 400 murals in 22 states and 18 countries, including France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Costa Rica, Aruba, the Bahamas, the Netherlands, and Japan. In addition to murals, canvases, and live art, McIlwaine continues to operate Cultures Clothing, a business that dates back to his undergraduate days when he painted custom artwork on classmates’ clothing.
He lives in West Philadelphia, where he has remained since graduating from Neumann with a business degree, and he has no plans to leave.
“My Germantown apartment is only 10 or 15 minutes from where I grew up,” he says, “and the arts community in Philadelphia is amazing. We’re all friends. We know each other, support each other, and collaborate a lot. And we’re the Mural Capital of the World.”