Putting Philadelphia’s Public Art Online
More Than Likes is a series about social media personalities who are trying to do positive things for their communities.Conrad Benner’s phone camera was fixed on Nile Livingston, an artist who stood in front of a blank wall. Mx. Livingston would soon paint a massive mural, and the “canvas” would be the side of an apartment building overlooking a parking lot in the Gayborhood area of Philadelphia. But Mx. Livingston was having a hard time finding the right words for a promotional TikTok.“We can do a thousand takes,” Mr. Benner said, warmth in his voice. He had chosen both the location and the artist.Mr. Benner, 38, runs Streets Dept, a photo blog and social media presence dedicated to spotlighting street artists. In addition to interviewing artists on video and photographing their work, Mr...