Artist Michelle Angela Ortiz has completed a towering 30-foot mural at the intersection where she grew up, creating one of the largest artworks in Philadelphia's Italian Market. The piece, titled "Labor and Love Intertwined," serves as a powerful tribute to the immigrant communities that have shaped the neighborhood for generations.
Located at 906 League Street, the mural centers on Gabriel, a dedicated worker who has spent over 30 years at a local produce stand. Ortiz describes him as a quiet, humble man and hardworking individual who takes great pride in his work. In the painting, Gabriel appears to be lifting an image of his hometown of Puebla, Mexico, carried in a vegetable crate slung over his shoulder. The artwork also features images of Ortiz's mother, herself as a young girl, and longtime friends who live and work in the area.
"The mural does not just represent [them], but all of the workers in the market that are the most under-resourced," explained Ortiz, 46. "But the reason for the imagery is not so much to represent us as workers, but as human beings. There's so much more to our stories than our commitment to work."
Growing up at 9th and League Streets with a Colombian mother and Peruvian father, Ortiz recalls her family struggling to find their place in the cultural and social fabric of the Italian Market and Philadelphia as a whole. However, this landscape eventually became a source of inspiration for her artistic work. In 2019, she launched "Our Market," a collaborative public art and storytelling project designed to highlight the area's residents and business owners.
"The market is and has always been a part of my and my family's life," she said. "I created the project as a way to open a space for those that felt the same way as I did and really expand the narrative of what the market authentically is... which has been a market of immigrants and migrants."
Working alongside a team of local artists, Ortiz has developed personalized awnings for business owners along 9th Street and created pop-up "story carts" aimed at collecting personal anecdotes about community members. The project also includes illuminated art installations designed to celebrate the interests and dreams people have beyond their work lives.
"The act of stopping and reflecting and dreaming is sometimes very hard to have happen in the market because everyone is hustling and working so hard," Ortiz explained. "What I hope we have done is not just about function, but allowing others to stop for a moment and share their stories."
The timing of this mural holds particular significance as immigrant communities face increased concerns about potential deportation efforts. Gabriel's last name was withheld from coverage due to fears of being targeted by enforcement authorities. Ortiz hopes her mural and related projects will serve as a reminder of shared humanity across all communities.
"These stories are really important... and murals have been a way of preserving these stories in different spaces," she said. "I see the immigrant community as the backbone to our country, specifically to the market. How can we showcase why it's important to invest in the market in the way that it deserves?"
A mural dedication ceremony was held on Saturday at 4 p.m., followed by a preview of light installations at Duskaia Cafe at 1007 S. 9th Street. The event provided community members and visitors an opportunity to celebrate the artwork and the diverse stories it represents within Philadelphia's historic Italian Market district.
