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Eco Mural 16: Leopard

Location: 509 South Broad St, Philadelphia, PA

Artist: Designed, illustrated, and painted by Hagopian Arts

Leopard

Environmental Challenges for Leopards

Leopards are large cats that are found in a variety of habitats across Africa and Asia, including rainforests, grasslands, and deserts. They are known for their beautiful coats, which are marked with distinctive black spots, and their ability to climb trees and hunt prey.

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​Unfortunately, leopards are facing many challenges due to the impacts of the environment. One major threat to leopards is habitat loss, as human development and agriculture are destroying the forests and other habitats that leopards need to survive. This is particularly problematic in areas where leopards are already endangered, such as the Sundarbans region of India, where leopards are losing their habitat to infrastructure projects and shrimp farms.

Another threat to leopards is poaching. Leopards are often hunted for their beautiful coats, which are highly valued on the black market. Poaching can have a significant impact on leopard populations, particularly if it is not well-regulated.

 

Climate change is also a threat to leopards, as it can lead to changes in the availability of prey and other resources that leopards rely on. Warmer temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events can also have negative impacts on leopard habitats, further threatening these magnificent animals.

​​​There are many organizations working to protect leopards and their habitats, including the Wildlife Conservation Society, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the African Wildlife Foundation. These organizations are working to promote sustainable development, combat poaching, and protect leopard habitats through conservation efforts such as protected areas and habitat restoration.

 

Overall, it is important to raise awareness about the challenges facing leopards and the efforts being made to protect them. By understanding the issues and taking action to support conservation efforts, we can help to ensure a future for these amazing animals.

Intergenerational Environmental Education

Through the generous 2019 New Courtland Fellowship grant and in partnership with The Center For Emerging Visual Artists, Hagopian Arts led a series of 10 mural-making workshops in which youth and senior participants worked together to create an Eco Mural.  The premise of the project was to bridge the generational gap between participants and engage them in environmental and ecological awareness-based mural-making workshops.  The culmination of the classes resulted in the installation of an Eco Mural depicting a leopard.  During the workshops, participants learned about the species as well as the threats that they and their environment face.  Hagopian Arts worked with award-winning wildlife photographer Yaron Schmid, referencing his photos in order to capture the leopard featured in the mural. 

About the Eco Mural and Wild Medicine Projects
The Eco Mural Project by Hagopian Arts is an ongoing series of public art installations designed to educate and inspire action on ecological and cultural issues. Each mural is a meticulously detailed, one-of-a-kind piece, blending vibrant artistry with rigorous research. These murals transport viewers into immersive natural environments, revitalizing urban spaces while addressing pressing concerns about environmental degradation.
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Within this initiative, the Wild Medicine Eco Mural Project focuses specifically on the cultural heritage of medicinal plants. Through detailed depictions and thoughtful programming, the series highlights the historical, cultural, and healing significance of plants, fostering a deeper connection between individuals and the natural world.
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The Eco Mural Project is rooted in the belief that reconnecting communities with nature can profoundly impact mental and physical health. These murals showcase the beauty of local flora and fauna, enlivening public spaces and encouraging residents to see their environment in a new light. This engagement inspires a sense of pride, belonging, and collective responsibility for the natural world. To enhance accessibility, each mural includes a scannable QR code linking viewers to a webpage that provides detailed information about the artwork, the plants featured, and their historical and cultural significance. These pages also honor Indigenous histories by sharing the uses, markers, and cultural associations of the depicted flora and fauna.
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Community-Driven Programming and Collaborations 
Hagopian Arts amplifies the impact of its murals through live events, educational initiatives, and community partnerships that engage people across generations and cultures.

Hagopian Arts transforms urban landscapes through art that bridges the worlds of ecology, education, and cultural heritage. Each mural is a portal into the hidden wonders of the natural world. By blending intricate artistry with educational outreach, Hagopian Arts inspires communities to rediscover the beauty and importance of the environment they call home.

Honoring Indigenous Histories and Local Ecosystems
A standout project in the Wild Medicine Series is Eco Mural 21 at Bartram’s Garden, a series of freestanding mini murals showcasing medicinal plants historically used by the Lenni Lenape people. Designed with community input, the murals feature local flora, Lenape beadwork patterns, and depictions of children on the riverbank where passionflowers grow.


Hagopian Arts conducted extensive research into Bartram’s Garden’s historical catalog to honor the Lenape people’s contributions and highlight the cultural significance of the plants. At the unveiling event on September 15th, Melaney Gilchrist, a West Philadelphia herbalist, and mindfulness yoga practitioner Nakesha Moore of Breathe Moore led workshops for community families. These sessions explored the medicinal properties of the plants while fostering connections between art, history, and wellness practices.


Through its murals and programming, Hagopian Arts creates vibrant spaces for education, inspiration, and dialogue. The Eco Mural Project bridges art and environmental advocacy, encouraging communities to cherish their local ecosystems and honor the cultural and historical ties that bind them to the natural world.

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Wild Medicine: A Multidimensional Creative Experience

This live event combined public art, botanical installations, body-painted models, and performance art to merge the worlds of creativity and herbal wisdom. Hosted in collaboration with women artists, herbalists, and grassroots organizers, the event invited participants to explore the healing connections between art and nature.

 

Ancient Ancestral Connections

Eco Mural 18: Women’s Wild Medicine celebrates the ancestral bond between women and medicinal plants, featuring women from diverse cultural backgrounds alongside flora from their heritage. Installed at Penn OB/GYN, the mural also serves as a pilot for the Women’s Wild Medicine Initiative, a community-driven effort that highlights the healing power of native plants and their historical ties to women.

 

Wild Medicine Coloring Journal and Foraging Guide

In collaboration with educator and illustrator Katie Lillard, Hagopian Arts produced the Wild Medicine Journal and Coloring Illustration Booklet, inspired by the two murals created for Wild Medicine Eco Mural 15: Mugwort, Mullein, and Mallow. The booklet features twenty medicinal plants rendered in Hagopian Arts’ signature style, blending pattern, naturalism, and realism.

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Hagopian Arts distributed the journal and accompanying foraging guides to schools and community organizations to introduce youth aged 3-18 to ecological awareness in both traditional and nontraditional learning settings. These resources were also shared during a mural unveiling, empowering community members to safely connect with wild plants and explore their uses in daily life.

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Highlighting Interconnectivity: Eco Mural 20
As part of the Wild Medicine Eco Mural Project, Hagopian Arts created Eco Mural 20: Artelo to celebrate the interdependent relationships between plants, pollinators, and human communities. This mural was a collaborative effort with Square Roots Collective and 14 other public artists contributing uniquely to the Artelo hotel project. While each artist brought a distinct vision to the hotel’s art-filled rooms, Hagopian Arts focused on the ecological and cultural themes central to the Wild Medicine Eco Mural Project.


To expand its reach, Hagopian Arts hosted interactive workshops that engaged community members in the creative process: At Hyacinth Montessori School in West Philadelphia, children aged 6–12 participated in a painting workshop, learning about local flora and pollinators while contributing sections to the mural. This activity incorporated yoga and mindfulness practices led by Breathe Moore, blending creativity and well-being.


At John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, community members painted portions of the mural while learning about the featured species and their roles in local ecosystems.


In September 2024, Hagopian Arts partnered with the Kennett Trails Alliance and Artelo for a public mural painting event during the Hispanic Heritage Festival in Kennett Square. Using a paint-by-number system and hand-mixed colors, participants painted sections inspired by the flora, fauna, and geometric patterns of Eco Mural 20. The mural, once finalized by Hagopian Arts, will be installed in Kennett Square in 2025, further expanding its impact and reach.

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