The mural pays homage to Louisa May Alcott, a Philadelphia-born American novelist and poet, and was painted by renowned artist Scott Albrecht.
“The Collective Ours of Time” mural by Scott Albrecht at The Alcott
(PHILADELPHIA – Thursday, May 21, 2026)
Yesterday, Southern Land Company (SLC) and Mural Arts Philadelphia unveiled a new mural, “The Collective Ours of Time,” located on the side of The Alcott, a 12-story, 329-unit mixed-use community located at 416 Spring Garden Street in Northern Liberties. Commissioned by SLC in partnership with Mural Arts, the piece pays homage to the namesake of The Alcott, Philadelphia-born Louisa May Alcott, and was inspired by her most critically acclaimed novel, Little Women.
Renowned artist Scott Albrecht, a proud graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia, conceptualized and produced the mural using house paint. Albrecht’s artwork uses artistic typography to engage viewers and emphasize visual connections with literary concepts.
“I look at public works as being in conversation with the environments and communities that they live within, which I believe helps foster a deeper sense of connection beyond the surface of what a work is. The sentiment of this piece is intentionally universal and not specific to one area. Having the opportunity to share it in Philadelphia extends to my own relationship and desire to connect with the city,” said mural artist Scott Albrecht.
Pictured from left to right: Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia; Scott Albrecht, mural artist; Councilmember Mark F. Squilla, First District; Carly Catalana, SVP, Southern Land Company
The mural explores multiple points of connection, including form, color, sentiment, scale, and location, to foster personalized interpretation. The piece reflects universal themes of how people navigate time and relationships. The title of the piece, “The Collective Ours of Time,” plays on “hours” to emphasize personal and collective experiences of time’s progression. At approximately 68.5 by 16 feet, the large mural features varying scales and overlapping letterforms, filling the space in a fluid arrangement across The Alcott’s façade on 5th Street.
“At Southern Land Company, we are dedicated to developing communities that thoughtfully integrate into their surrounding neighborhoods while collaborating with passionate creatives to bring a distinctive sense of character to each project,” said Rachel Parks, Development Manager, Southern Land Company. “We are thankful to Mural Arts Philadelphia for their partnership, and to artist Scott Albrecht for his originality and dedication to bring Philadelphia’s unrivaled history to life in the form of art.”
The compelling artwork builds on Philadelphia’s rich history of supporting and promoting public works of art. The City of Brotherly Love, as it’s colloquially called, was the first in the nation to establish the Percent for Art program in 1959, followed by the establishment of Mural Arts Philadelphia in 1985. Home to more than 4,000 murals, Philadelphia is known as the mural capital of the United States.
“Philadelphia’s public art is a reflection of the city’s extraordinary spirit and history,” said Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. “We’re proud to partner with Southern Land Company to add Scott Albrecht’s luminous work to that legacy. ‘The Collective Ours of Time’ speaks to something universal — how we move through time together — and we hope residents and passersby alike find meaning and joy in it for years to come.
“Public art doesn’t just beautify communities, it presents an opportunity to explore, connect, and inspire,” said Councilman Mark Squilla, representative of the City Council’s First District. “As a longtime supporter of the arts, I know this incredible new mural and its symbolism will meaningfully enrich Philadelphia’s cultural fabric, especially here in Northern Liberties.”
Constructed and managed by SLC, an award-winning national real estate developer, The Alcott is a 12-story, 329-unit mixed-use community located in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood that opened in 2024. For more information or to become a resident, please click here.
In addition to The Alcott, SLC is also the owner and developer of The Laurel Rittenhouse Square, a 48-story high-rise in Rittenhouse Square featuring a collection of ultraluxury for-sale condominiums on its uppermost floors and a distinctively upscale rental community, 1909 Rittenhouse, on its lower floors; as well as The Josephine, a 27-story luxury mixed-use community also in Center City. SLC made its Philadelphia debut with 3601 Market, which the company sold in 2018.
Visit https://southernland.com/portfolio/ to view SLC’s full portfolio of single-family, multifamily, master-planned, and mixed-use communities.
About Southern Land Company
Southern Land Company is a national, full-service real estate developer that has been reimagining the industry since 1986. The company brings extraordinary living spaces and experiences to life through master-planned, single-family, multifamily, mixed-use, and hospitality developments, all created by a diverse team of industry-leading, in-house experts.
Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Southern Land Company has market-leading projects in nine states, with regional offices in New York City; Philadelphia, Plano, Texas; Erie, Colorado; and Vallejo, California. Southern Land Company’s current project pipeline is valued at $3 billion. To learn more, visit www.southernland.com.
About Mural Arts Philadelphia
Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative and equitable process, creating over 4,000 artworks that have transformed public spaces and individual lives. Mural Arts aims to empower people, stimulate dialogue, and build bridges to mutual understanding through projects that attract artists from Philadelphia and around the world and programs that focus on youth education, restorative justice, mental health and wellness, and public art preservation. Popular mural tours offer a firsthand glimpse into the inspiring stories behind Mural Arts’ iconic and unparalleled collection, earning Philadelphia worldwide recognition as the “Mural Capital of the World.” Philadelphia was recently named the number one city for Best Street Art by USA Today. For more information, call 215.685.0750 or visit muralarts.org.
About Scott Albrecht
Scott Albrecht is a graduate of the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Known for his wood relief pieces and murals, Scott also works in a variety of other media, including steel, collage, and pen & ink, unified by a distinct approach to abstracting typography, often centered on themes of connection and understanding. His work has been published and exhibited internationally with galleries, museums, and art fairs, including Hashimoto Contemporary in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, as well as The Brooklyn Museum. Scott has collaborated with several clients and partners, including Google, Spotify, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Rag & Bone, Vans, PayPal, and Ballantine’s. | https://scottalbrecht.com/
