Olde Richmond Launches Campaign to Restore Raccoon Mural
Residents are raising $8,500 to repair the deteriorating stucco wall and repaint the beloved Webb Street Playground mural by artist Evan Lovett.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Wildlife
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Olde Richmond residents have launched a fundraising campaign to restore the raccoon mural at Webb Street Playground, which depicts the animal taking a bite of a soft pretzel. The GoFundMe seeks $8,500 for masonry work and repainting by artist Evan Lovett.
Why it matters
The mural has become a neighborhood landmark, but crumbling plaster and chipping paint are threatening its survival. Repairs are needed on the stucco wall, which is affected by both deterioration and impacts from basketballs thrown by children.
The campaign has raised a little over $1,300 of its $8,500 goal, which covers masonry and repainting work by Evan Lovett. Shaak's first mural GoFundMe raised more than $4,000 when the mural was originally commissioned in 2017.
The players
Evan Lovett
Lovett is a Philadelphia muralist who painted the raccoon mural and has also created murals in Fishtown, East Falls and Norris Square.
Shaak
Shaak is a Olde Richmond resident who bought her house about 10 years ago and has organized the GoFundMe campaigns for the mural.
The details
The raccoon mural, created in 2017, sits on a stucco wall of a building dating to the 1860s that once had a carriage house. Lovett plans to prime the wall and apply a stronger sealer after repairs to help the mural last longer.
Timeline
2017: The raccoon mural was created at Webb Street Playground.
December: Shaak hopes to complete the wall repair and repainting.
Roadmap
Community-funded murals across Philadelphia rely on residents to finance not only creation but ongoing upkeep as walls age. The Olde Richmond effort shows how a mural painted in 2017 can require masonry repairs within less than a decade.
Residents who use Webb Street Playground will see the raccoon mural restored if the campaign reaches its goal. Its upkeep depends on donations, so neighbors contributing to the GoFundMe directly affect whether the mural survives.
The takeaway
Community murals last only as long as the neighborhoods that care for them, so supporting upkeep is as important as the original painting. Readers who value local art can contribute to maintenance funds before damage becomes costly.
What happens next
Shaak hopes to complete the wall repair and repainting in December, pending the fundraising goal being met.
Further reading
Explore more Wildlife coverage to see how animal-themed public art connects to local neighborhoods.
Source note: This article includes information reported by PhillyVoice.
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