On Tuesday, March 11, Idealist will launch a new network to help practical dreamers all over the world connect and take action on the issues that concern them. Preparing for the debut of this imaginative new effort has gotten us exploring the many facets of dreams: what are their purposes, their powers, their opposites?

Welcome to Dreams Week on Idealists in Action.

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Philadelphia speaks in murals. The city is home to close to 4,000 painted public-facing walls, many of which illustrate people, ideas, and events of import in local history. Venerated West Philly community organizer Herman Wrice has at least two dedicated to him.

But no one is immune from the whims of the real estate market, even the most trailblazing grassroots leaders. Last year, one of Wrice’s wall-side tributes was obscured by a new building; last month, the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program organized community members to repaint its likeness a short distance away.

The Herman Write mural near N 34th Street and Spring Garden Street gets fenced in.
(image via hiddencityphila.org)

Read this great NewsWorks post for more on Wrice’s impact and legacy, and find out whether one-size-fits-all latex painting gloves live up to their name.

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Who do you dream of immortalizing with a mural in your neighborhood?