POTTSTOWN PA – No matter what the weather may bring – recent snow and sleet or, as expected Tuesday and Wednesday, (Jan. 9-10, 2024) substantial rain and localized flooding – a series of murals in Pottstown is bringing a pop of color to brighten the day of borough residents and visitors.
In a collaborative effort, representatives of borough government, the Pottstown Area Regional Recreation Committee, Beech Street gallery ArtFusion 19464, and a volunteer are working with local artists to create “intricate murals” on traffic signal boxes throughout the downtown area.
Several artists submitted designs that received borough approval and were installed during 2023 as public art in a variety of locations. The regional recreation committee reported Tuesday that additional installations are planned for 2024.
The effort is the result of private funding the borough received to support a community arts project. It intends to highlight local artists, bring free and accessible art to the area, and build upon Pottstown’s revitalization efforts, the committee said in a media release.
So far five artists have painted six signal boxes. A sixth artist has painted two additional murals at Veterans’ Island in Pottstown’s Memorial Park. All have won rave reviews on social media. The creators, and the locations where their projects can be found, are:
- Carrie Kingsbury, at the corner of High and Hanover streets;
- Alicia Wilby, on Hanover Street at Security Plaza;
- Alicia Wilby, at the corner of West High Street and College Drive;
- Kayla Ackelson, at the corner of Charlotte and Beach streets;
- Lee Pohlsander, on the northwest corner of High and Keim streets;
- Bob Hakun, on the northeast corner of High Street and Industrial Highway; and
- Amber Staedtler, with two separate Veterans Island murals that “pay tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in the Korean War.” Those were completed with the assistance of the Veterans’ Island Project, a non-profit organization that partners with the borough to enhance and maintain the island.
As new murals are completed, the committee said it will “post updates” about them and their locations.
Transforming cities, inspiring positive change
Mural projects like those arising in Pottstown have become increasingly common in cities across the nation over the past 20 years, according to The New York Times. Most recently a variety of news articles and government notices have covered installations in Raleigh NC, Missoula MT, Stow OH, and Gastonia NC.
The Washington DC-based International Downtown Association, a group serving “professional place management leaders worldwide,” even maintains a virtual archive of public art projects it considers worthy of its members’ attention.
The association website offers limited access, member-specific content that champions what it calls “the transformational power of public art.” It observes that “public art in cities transforms public spaces, connects people, and revitalizes communities,” and has the potential to inspire “long-term positive change.”
“Any community on any budget can benefit from the strategic targeted implementation of public art,” it added.
Photos provided to Travels With The Post by the Pottstown Area Regional Recreation Committee
