Jason Kelce has been spotted dancing throughout Philadelphia in recent days, but he’s been looking a little two-dimensional.
Street artist Get Up has plastered a portrait of the retired Eagle mid-dance move on several public walls and at least one traffic overpass since September. The graffiti depicts Kelce in the green velour tracksuit with Italian patches and New Balance sneakers he wore on “Monday Night Countdown” in one of his first weeks on the job. He dubbed the outfit a “South Philly tuxedo.”
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“I just like doing stupid funny stuff that’ll make people smile and that people in the city like,” said Get Up, who obscures his full name for legal purposes. “The Philly sports ones always seem to connect with people the most.”
Get Up created his dancing Kelce by designing a stencil digitally. After printing and hand-cutting the outline, he laid it over paper in his studio and painted in the image. With multiple Kelce paper dolls in hand, he then took to the streets. Using a wheatpaste adhesive, he rolled the portraits into place.
Get Up estimates he hit 7 locations, including an Interstate 95 overpass. The image also appeared on unfinished wooden boards on Juniper and Locust streets, and 16th Street between Chestnut and Sansom streets. It was still up in those Center City locations as of Thursday afternoon, a rarity for some street art. But Get Up isn’t surprised his creations have survived.
“They generally stay up way longer than I’m even expecting,” he said. “The city actually will paint over graffiti right next to it and they’ll carefully leave mine for whatever reason. That’s also, over the years, given me the confidence.
“I’m not doing it on private property or small businesses. It’s generally all city property or boarded up walls. I think most people would agree that a little bit of color doesn’t hurt a boring gray wall.”
The Kelce image quickly spread on social media, taking on a life beyond I-95. Get Up has received commissions from local businesses, including Evil Genius Beer Co., to stamp the portrait on their premises. The Fishtown brewery now displays the piece in its beer garden.
Get Up is also selling T-shirts with the design on his website.
Provided image/Evil Genius
Evil Genius Beer Co. commissioned the viral dancing Jason Kelce street art for its beer garden. Get Up installed the piece Tuesday.
The art has even reached the muse himself. Kelce and his brother Travis addressed the graffiti on their “New Heights” podcast Wednesday, offering a mixed review.
“I mean, it’s dope,” Kelce said. “It’s vandalism. The city’s gonna have to clean it up.”
After Travis protested that “you can take that off, it’s not vandalism,” his brother clarified that he’s not against it.
“Listen, vandalism is part of Philadelphia’s pastime,” Kelce said. “I’m not anti-vandalism.”
Get Up, who posted the exchange on his Instagram account, took the comments in stride.
“I don’t hide the fact that what I do is illegal,” he said. “But I more go by what I think is right and wrong. To me, a law is a law as long as I’m not hurting anyone. It doesn’t bother me what you call it. I thought it was funny.”
Still, he did want to clarify one point.
“(Travis) seemed to think that it was a little more temporary and that you could just easily peel it off or whatever,” he said with a laugh. “He’s mistaken on that.”
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