Many of our Susquehanna Valley landscapes are simply breathtaking, adding natural beauty and color to our days. Now, thanks to grassroots community organizers, artists, supporters, and lots of vision, many of the Susquehanna Valley’s urban environments are being transformed into colorful, artistic landscapes just as worthy of our attention. We visited several local towns and cities where they’re taking art to a whole new level—street-level.
Photo courtesy Karen Hendricks
Color Carlisle: Montage Mural
Recently, a crowd of Carlisle residents gathered on a warm, sunny April day—the kind of day that produces a brilliant, clear blue sky. It was the perfect backdrop for the vibrant mural colors being unveiled and adhered to the beige bricks on the back wall of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church.
It was the first mural installation by Color Carlisle, a community-based organization formed in late 2016 and spearheaded by Greg Guenther. His concept, creating public art as a way to unify residents, spread like wildfire.
“Once we put feelers out, we discovered others were just as interested in bringing public art to Carlisle,” says Guenther. Efforts gained momentum led to town hall meetings, the Downtown Carlisle Association offering to serve as fiscal agent, and a full slate of volunteers stepping into advisory board roles. Within three months, Color Carlisle raised $10,000 from arts organization Jump Street and the Bison Foundation of the Carlisle School District, along with numerous public donations.
Funding allowed Carlisle High School students to create canvas transfer murals through the fall, under the direction of art teacher and Color Carlisle vice president Ashley Gogoj and artist Ophelia M. Chambliss. The mural is a montage of images suggested at town hall meetings, says Guenther. “We asked people what makes Carlisle great, and those are the things you see pictured—the red Adirondack chairs at Dickinson College, nature and the Appalachian Trail, farming, the downtown architecture—it’s all pulled into one mural, tied together by the infinity symbol to symbolize togetherness,” he says.
April’s mural installation was directed by Chambliss, of York, who has created about 25 pieces of public art throughout Central PA. About 25 teens, working in small groups, dipped their latex glove-covered hands into buckets of thick white glue, rubbing it in circular motions on the back of the mural, which was created in six adjoining panels.
Using teamwork, Chambliss instructed the teens to pick up each section and carefully hand it up to a team of adult community volunteers on scaffolding, including Guenther and Gogoj. Working together, their hands smoothed the colorful canvas panels onto the bricks, then sealed it by rubbing additional glue along the edges.
Community members, even passersby, gathered to watch the progress as music set the tone from the adjacent church parking lot and gave the feel of a community block party. At one point, the lyrics of John Legend’s song “Wake Up Everybody” seemed to speak directly to the day’s events: “The world won’t get no better if we just let it be…we gotta change the world, just you and me.”
Two of the teens, Jamyla Spells and Olivia Gregory, both 18-year-old seniors who have grown up in Carlisle, say it was “crazy” to see the mural come to life. Spells painted all of the mural’s blue sky, along with touchups throughout. Gregory, responsible for the mural’s green sections—trees and leaves—says she’s surprised at how much bigger the mural looks once it’s in place.
“It’s amazing, especially knowing that it’ll be up here years from now,” says Spells. The canvas transfer method is designed to last 20 to 30 years.
“We are involving students because they are our future,” says Guenther. “They will continue to see [the mural] and be empowered by it.”
Guenther says the church wall was an obvious choice of location, within a well-trafficked residential area bordered by Dickinson College and Memorial Park. Besides, he jokes, since he and his wife lead a young adult ministry at the church, it was the “easiest” location where he could quickly gain permission. Guenther credits friend Jeff Copus of Harrisburg’s Sprocket Mural Works with sharing his knowledge of murals, creation, and techniques.
“It’s incredibly exhilarating to see the project as a whole,” says Guenther. “It brings light and vibrancy to space, but the end goal is tying people together. Too often, art is associated with privilege and is found closed up in galleries and requiring money. But public art is accessible.”
Color Carlisle’s second mural is in the works, as part of an urban redevelopment plan involving Sadler Health Center on the corner of Hanover and Louther Streets. Guenther says it could be installed as early as this fall. Until then, he invites the public to stop by 201 West Louther Street (the mural is on the back), enjoy and take photos, being sure to use the hashtag #colorcarlisle.
St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church / 201 W. Louther St., Carlisle, PA (the mural can be viewed from North West Street) / colorcarlisle.com
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Photo courtesy Downtown Inc.
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Photo courtesy Downtown Inc.
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Photo courtesy Kate Harmon, Parliament Arts
York: Branding the Royal Square District
Carlisle’s new mural is following a recent trend—or explosion—of murals throughout Central PA. In 2017, new murals brought color to York in July and to Harrisburg over September’s Labor Day weekend, with Lancaster following suit in the fall.
In fact, while fireworks were exploding with color over the 4th of July weekend in York, so were six new murals.
“The main idea came from [Parliament Arts Organization] board president Joshua Hankey who is also the owner of RSDC, Royal Square Development and Construction. He owns all the buildings we painted upon, and he thought the murals would help identify us and brand our downtown arts district,” says Kate Harmon, interim executive director for Parliament. The grassroots nonprofit arts organization’s goal is to empower artists and transform York.
While Parliament administered the entire project, the murals “definitely wouldn’t have happened” without invaluable assistance from Harrisburg’s Sprocket Mural Works, says Harmon. Sprocket’s co-founders Megan Caruso and Jeff Copus coordinated supplies and equipment, and curated the artists—a mixture of talent from both York and Harrisburg.
“It was a really hot weekend, and it was interesting to see how all the artists worked,” Harmon recalls. “One projected lettering onto the wall and traced it out; another worked in grids and marked out squares. It was fascinating.”
The end result? Back alleys and the backs of buildings were transformed from drab stucco or brick to colorful works of art including an owl with its wings spread, graphic designs—one of which includes “York” in script lettering and another titled “Ruins” which features a woman looking in a mirror. Harmon says the latter came about due to its proximity to couples getting married at nearby events space The Bond.
“Two to three years ago, it was the neighborhood where buildings were being purchased and galleries were popping up,” says Silas Chamberlin, CEO, Downtown Inc, which partially funded the project. “Royal Square hasn’t lost its innovation—it’s now home to many retail shops [and] Taste Test Café, with a sense of innovation on the culinary side of the arts scene. There’s a lot going on in the neighborhood, a lot of new residents—the WeCo [west of Codorus Creek] neighborhood is seeing more up-and-coming development; it’s becoming a destination.”
He says the murals only add to the neighborhood’s personality. “There’s an edginess to the area. You have Collusion Tap Works, galleries, The Bond—a beautiful event space with an industrial feel. As you’re walking, you’re seeing art in unexpected places. The vibrant colors add activation.”
Chamberlin and Harmon both agree that the murals not only brighten the neighborhood for residents and workers, but also attract visitors. “After the murals went in, we started seeing Trip Advisor reviews coming in,” Chamberlin says. “People are coming to see the murals and then stopping at restaurants and shops.”
Looking at the bigger picture, including all of York, Chamberlin says the Royal Square district fits into the city’s artistic landscape. “We have an eclectic mix of downtown art, between murals, landscape installations, benches designed as art pieces, trash cans designed as art pieces, and sculptures. A lot of the artwork has an industrial feel, reflecting the industrial history of York, but also includes art that is quirky and stands out. The murals add to that by making the Royal Square District a special place.”
York’s Royal Square District / 100 block of E. King Street, S. Duke Street, E. Princess Street and S. Queen Street, York, PA / parliamentyork.org / downtownyorkpa.com
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Photo courtesy Landon Wise
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Photo courtesy Landon Wise
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Photo courtesy Landon Wise
Harrisburg's Public Art: Put in Gear by Sprocket Mural Works
Much like a sprocket is a gear that connects and helps neighboring gears turn, Sprocket Mural Works has assisted neighboring mural projects in Carlisle and York, while establishing their Harrisburg-based organization.
“Our goal and vision is to connect artists with opportunities, facilitating art and connections, and having an impact on neighborhoods…the sprocket is central,” says Meg Caruso, co-founder of Sprocket Mural Works along with Jeff Copus. Both city residents with art backgrounds, they founded the organization in 2014 thanks to introductions by mutual friends who realized they both had an interest in creating public art. They both hold down full-time professional jobs outside of Sprocket; all of their time spent on Sprocket’s projects is volunteer-based. “It’s a passion project,” says Caruso.
“Harrisburg has a lot of heart, a lot of amazing people,” she says. “We want to influence the landscape in a visible way; research shows that public art is a sign of a healthy community.”
If that’s the case, then Sprocket has boosted Harrisburg’s health. Their grass-roots efforts led to the creation of six murals in six weeks in 2016 and a mural festival resulting in 18 pieces of art by 16 paid muralists in 2017.
Caruso says it’s a process she has long envisioned. “For years, I was driving around Harrisburg taking pictures, seeing blank walls as canvases,” she says. She says the process of contacting property owners was “arduous,” but volunteer lawyers with the Dauphin County Bar Association helped them work through the legalities of permissions and ownership.
For the 2017 festival, held over Labor Day weekend to coincide with Kipona, Sprocket’s call for artists resulted in proposals from 150 artists worldwide. The 16 selected artists represented local, regional, national, and international talent with a wide range of abilities, from first-time muralists to established artists, says Copus.
Mural themes were determined by carefully considering the spaces and communities. An historical mural at the Jackson House Hotel “came about easily,” says Caruso. “African Americans stayed there, families as well as many famous jazz musicians [including Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong], and it was rumored to be on the Underground Railroad.”
The statistics amassed during the 2017 festival are staggering: Sprocket collaborated with nearly 50 organizations; more than 150 volunteers primed walls and ran events. Grants, fundraising, and donations totaling $125,000 powered the festival, including artist stipends and supplies—paint, canvas, paintbrushes, insurance and lifts. Each gallon of highly-pigmented paint cost $165, and the entire paint order for the festival weighed three tons. Artists used a variety of techniques to create the murals.
“I’m proud of the organizations in the community…for them to donate and believe in the power of art…it’s huge. Sponsors and volunteers are the key,” Caruso says.
One of the murals that garners the most attention, says Copus, is a large purple ampersand painted on the wall of Sayford Market. The artist, Craig Welsh of Lancaster, envisioned it as a backdrop “for people to interact with it, like a couple, a bride and groom, or a family,” says Copus.
Copus points to University of Pennsylvania research, working with Mural Arts Philadelphia, that found public art and murals can lead to the creation of additional amenities, because the art helps people visualize what a space could be. In addition to nearby Mural Arts Philadelphia, Sprocket’s founders look to Wynwood Walls in Miami and others for inspiration.
Currently, Sprocket is coordinating commissioned murals in 2018, while gearing up for another mural festival in 2019.
There’s a single photo that Copus says perfectly captures the spirit of last summer’s mural festival for him personally: “I was so busy during the festival that I didn’t have time to sit and absorb the joy of it. But a photo captured [artist] Ralphie Seguinot painting, while several girls, maybe 12 and 6, were watching and looking up at him on the scaffolding, simply being inspired.”
Sprocket Mural Works / All Harrisburg murals are mapped at sprocketmuralworks.com/map
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Photo courtesy Melissa Engle
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Photo courtesy Melissa Engle
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Photo courtesy Melissa Engle
Lancaster: Two Dudes Painting Company Shares SoWe Spirit
During a two-week timeframe last fall, Lancaster’s SoWe (southwest) neighborhood was abuzz—first, with a huge, 80x20 foot mural, followed by 27 mini-murals emulating its design throughout the community.
“The community involvement was phenomenal,” says Peter Barber, co-owner of Two Dudes Painting Company, located in SoWe, which sponsored and coordinated the project. The company, in its 31st year, is well-versed in residential and commercial painting jobs.
Barber, who sits on the neighborhood’s nonprofit SoWe Board, says members “wanted to find a way to leverage the arts, to have more public expression of the arts. It’s an economic driver in the city’s central district and spills over into other neighborhoods.”
The project not only “unified” the community with similar artwork, but Barber says the murals set the tone for Lancaster’s hosting of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Awards for the Arts last fall. Partial funding for the mural project was provided by the state organization responsible for the awards.
Barber says Matt Chapman of Two Dudes Painting designed the initial large mural on the business’ wall, in geometric gradations of color. “We’ve been toying with the idea for years,” he says.
Much like in Carlisle, York, and Harrisburg, the Lancaster community welcomed the project. “We put out a call for artists and asked people to reinterpret it in their own way,” Barber says. “Our initial expectation was to fund 10 [mini-murals], but we had an overwhelming number of applications which resulted in 27, all over the community…great little pops of color on the sides of retaining walls, ends of staircases, the back side of a garage or fence,” he says.
Two Dudes Painting prepared surfaces and made sure all artists, from an 11-year-old girl to professional artists—and all property owners—received stipends. Barber says the company’s “abundance of spare paint,” to the tune of 40 gallons, came in handy.
Prior to 2017, Barber says Two Dudes created about 15-20 murals over the preceding 10 years, stemming from an initial internship program established with the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design.
“Public murals are a great way to forge deeper ties with the community,” Barber says. “We’re being asked if we’ll do another [public] program, and there’s lots of interest in continuing it. We are thinking about how we can develop a theme on a yearly basis and have people reinterpret that theme. It’s indicative of how the community in Lancaster can work together…the larger community understands the value of how art can impact the community.”
SoWe Mural Project / twodudes.com/community/sowe-mural-project
Two Dudes Painting Company / 750 Poplar St., Lancaster, PA
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Photo courtesy Kuen Kuen Liu Spichiger
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Photo courtesy Kuen Kuen Liu Spichiger
Perry County Mural Celebrates the Susquehanna
“Susquenita Supports the Susquehanna” is the title of the latest mural coordinated by the Perry County Council of the Arts (PCCA). A true community effort, the mural was created this past spring by nearly 900 students at Susquenita Elementary and Middle Schools, in partnership with artist in residence Kuen Kuen Liu Spichiger of Halifax, elementary art teacher Alison Binger-Seidle, elementary STEM teacher Sarah Baer, and middle school art teacher Abby Fisher, plus members of the nonprofit watershed group the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association.
Measuring nearly 19 feet long, the mural depicts six different types of fish that are native to the Susquehanna River.
“We wanted to do something focused on the Susquehanna,” says Erika Juran, executive director of the Perry County Council of the Arts, the organization that coordinated the mural’s creation. “It’s important to note the mural depicts fish that not only live in the Susquehanna, but that used to live in the Susquehanna. It was a great opportunity to provide another layer of education—art plus environmental education.”
Elementary school children designed and painted the fish—brook trout, tiger muskellunge, walleye, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, and American eel. The mural’s border, designed by middle school students, includes environmental conservation themes.
Installed and dedicated at the Marysville Borough Pool in June, the mural is part of a larger project. “We’re involved in creating the Perry County Historical Mural Trail leading up to the county’s bicentennial in 2020. Our goal is to have a mural in every town or township in the county by that time,” says Juran.
Sponsors of the Marysville mural include Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Project S.H.A.R.E., Sheetz, Blick Art Supplies, Mutzabaugh’s Market, Hometown Mortgage Resources, Nancy’s Soft Pretzels, and the Marysville Sportsmen’s Association.
PCCA also coordinates a Quilt Barn Trail, featuring more than 20 quilt murals throughout Perry, Juniata, and Mifflin Counties. Juran says the murals, created by students in arts-residency programs, will soon number 30.
The Marysville Borough Pool / 119 Park Dr., Marysville PA 17053 / To learn more about both mural trails, see PerryCountyArts.org.
