Editor’s Note: To make clear the prior locations of mural projects, this item and title were revised at 10:44 a.m. on Friday.
One mural at a time, local and national artists are transforming the Hall Manor neighborhood into a canvas via vibrant colors, strong statements, and a sense of community pride.
This week, artists began their work at 100 Hall Manor Place as part of the Sprocket Mural Works mural festival. This is the first time the aesthetically pleasing event has spread into the expansive neighborhood of 540 residences. It continues through Saturday.
Three local and five national artists were chosen from a pool of over 440 applicants in January by the Harrisburg-based groups.
The president of the Sprocket board of directors, Lissa Richards, told PennLive that the festival is intended to inspire the residents of Hall Manor and encourage community involvement.
Two ground paintings and seven wall murals are part of the project. A basketball court mural will be made at the Boys & Girls Club’s John North Hall Clubhouse across the street, and Sprocket’s first sidewalk mural will be painted at Hall Manor’s community center.
Jeff Copus, a co-founder of Sprocket, stated that the organization aimed to grow into further city neighborhoods after creating a mural corridor in Harrisburg’s midtown and downtown.
Hall Manor murals were made possible by a collaboration with the Harrisburg Housing Authority, which was awarded a grant to enhance the community, he added.
The mural ideas were influenced by community feedback; in the spring, Sprocket polled hundreds of people who requested murals honoring many cultures, nature, and inspirational people.
Each artist created two concepts, and 1,238 votes helped make the final murals a reality following a pizza party and door-to-door voting.
On June 25, 2025, Sharnee Burnett paints at the Sprocket Mural Works 2025 Mural Fest at Hall Manor. Balentine, Zahriah | [email protected] Zahriah
With children and locals showing up to assist artists in getting their work started, the festival got off to a great start. But since then, activity has slowed because to the temperature in central Pennsylvania.
According to Copus, the heat is currently having a significant impact on everyone.
“I don’t want to encourage kids to run around in this heat if they have a cooler place to be,” Richards stated on Wednesday. “It’s too hot.” The heat didn’t break today as we had hoped, so hopefully it will before the end of the week.
In order to beat the heat, they stated the artists are doing well and that many of them are starting as early as 5:30 a.m. and staying cool with shade, drink, and air conditioning. The artists are often visible from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to Richards, planning an outdoor mural event has a unique set of difficulties, particularly in inclement weather.
We take the danger with the heat because we can’t paint in the cold or in the wet, she remarked. Although we didn’t have the best luck this time, we’re making every effort to ensure the artists’ safety and well-being.
Local artists appreciate collaborating with national artists despite the heat. Sprocket elevates local artists through their festivals. Under a tent, the artist painted the sidewalks with the help of locals and children.
Shawn Dunwoody, a multidisciplinary artist from Rochester, New York, said it’s wonderful to be a part of something that will influence the community. Meeting other outstanding artists who have produced incredible work is also a terrific experience. I look up to a few of these people.
The almost completed painting of Barack Obama and Spanish at Hall Manor, which is a part of the 2025 painting Fest by Sprocket Mural Works. June 25, 2025. Balentine, Zahriah | [email protected] Zahriah
Dunwoody is well-known for his community-driven projects and expansive word-based public art. For artistic purposes, he has also visited Brazil, Poland, and Madagascar.
The artist decided to include a positive message from Barack Obama after learning that the inhabitants wanted something inspiring to help them stay motivated.
Additionally, he is painting a mural in Spanish that will read, “Even if they cut down the flowers, spring is still coming,” which he claims captures the idea that there is always hope, no matter how bad things appear.
According to Harrisburg artist Sharnee Burnett, the neighborhood desired a mural of Maya Angelou or Dr. King. She went with the well-known memoirist and poet.
Although Burnett worked on several of Sprocket Mural’s projects, this is her first mural created alone. It was motivated by one of Angelou’s well-known sayings: “We appreciate the butterfly’s beauty but seldom acknowledge the transformations it has undergone to attain it.”
According to Burnett, the mural will feature Angelou’s visage against a gold backdrop, encircled by white flowers and butterflies.
On June 25, 2025, Sharnee Burnett paints at the Sprocket Mural Works 2025 Mural Fest at Hall Manor. Balentine, Zahriah | [email protected] Zahriah
She claimed that after going through a horrible experience that silenced her for years, she regained her voice again when her teachers encouraged her to write. I felt it was a really lovely narrative that she found her path and went on to become so famous.
Sarah Eberly, a mural artist, told PennLive that her painting, which depicts a variety of flowers and caterpillars, is meant to convey to young people the difficulty of growing up. Eberly, who moved to Harrisburg in 2024 after illuminating Columbus, Ohio for 20 years, is excited to showcase her personal flair.
According to her, life might be strange while you’re young because you’re still figuring yourself out. However, when you look at a caterpillar, you should be filled with hope when you consider the life of a butterfly. The person you were destined to be is truly magnificent. Thus, it is a message of hope for young people.
This festival’s emphasis on helping the local community sets it apart from previous ones in midtown or downtown, according to its organizers.
According to Copus, this festival is more for the community than the general public. This is primarily for the local population rather than passing tourists. I believe people will visit and take a look at these. But this is more for Hall Manor, I believe.
As part of the continuing Sprocket Mural Works 2025 Mural Fest, the community center at Hall Manor has a rainbow-colored pavement. June 25, 2025. Balentine, Zahriah | [email protected] Zahriah
Children and residents expressed their gratitude to PennLive for the vibrant additions.
One homeowner told PennLive, “When they first started, I was confused because I didn’t know what was happening.” The paintings are really lovely and intricate. Because all you see around here are brown grass and buildings, it gives the neighborhood some color.
Carmen Santiago De Jesus, a resident, briefly became alarmed as well because she believed kids were spray-painting graffiti outside her building.
“Oh no,” she answered, “because I thought the kids were doing something bad, I was sitting in my car watching them.” Sarah informed me that they were coming to paint the walls when I spotted her painting the wall the following day. She displayed the completed painting to me, and it is stunning.
“This building and this community can be dangerous at night, so I pray for them,” she said. Her ability to come here and bless the building is a blessing from God.
Copus expressed his love of art and its ability to change societies.
According to him, art has the power to alter people’s thoughts and perspectives. I believe what’s occurring here is that artists are able to imagine what something could be rather than what it is.
With the exception of the basketball court mural, which should be finished by mid-July, he stated that several wall murals are already completed and the others would be finished by Sunday.
From 3 to 5 p.m., Sprocket Mural Works will be back in the neighborhood to celebrate the new murals. July 26th, Saturday.
Over the past 10 years, Sprocket Mural Works has sponsored over 100 community murals and painted 80 electrical boxes and planters, transforming public and community spaces in the Harrisburg and York areas.
VisitSprocket Mural Works websiteto volunteer, donate, submit a wall for a mural, or sign up for a mural tour.
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