CITY CENTER HOLDS RIBBON-CUTTING FOR NEW AND RESTORED SCULPTURES AND NEW ARTSWALK EXTENSION
City Center Investment Corp. (CCIC), the real estate development company revitalizing downtown Allentown, Pennsylvania, today held a ribbon-cutting for both a new and a restored sculpture and a new extension of Allentown’s ArtsWalk, all surrounding its newest residential building, STRATA Symphony, at Sixth and Linden streets. The public ceremony, during which Allentown Mayor Ray O’Connell spoke, kicked off downtown Allentown’s monthly Destination Arts: Third Thursday program.
The new sculpture, “The Curtain,” hangs on the Linden Street side of STRATA Symphony. Commissioned by CCIC, the sculpture was produced by the husband and wife team of accomplished artists Angela Fraleigh and Wesley Heiss, longtime residents of Center City Allentown. The Curtain is a powder-coated, laser-cut, folded-steel form measuring 30-feet wide, 8-feet high and 1-foot deep. The 1,000-pound abstract artwork celebrates the lasting contributions of Miller Symphony Hall, the historic theater next door to STRATA Symphony on Sixth Street.
The sculpture also reflects the long history of textile production in Allentown. The Curtain is perforated with a popular textile pattern dating back to the 1899 opening of the Lyric Theater (the original name of Miller Symphony Hall) and representative of time when the silk business was a thriving Allentown industry. At nighttime, the sculpture is illuminated by LED lights that shine through thousands of perforations to compose an art-deco fan print.
According to the artists, “Theater drapes summon a sense of anticipation, like wrapping paper, inspiring delight and stirring feelings of hopeful fantasy and wonder. Although theater drapes are typically exclusive to interior spaces, the abstraction draws that feeling of suspense out onto the street.”
Fraleigh is associate professor of art, department chair and head of the studio program at Moravian College. She weaves together realism and abstraction in lush and complex works, ranging from intimate portraits to monumental figure paintings, which have been exhibited internationally. Heiss is an artist and associate professor of industrial design at Lehigh University. He has substantial experience in computer-aided design/manufacturing and interactive sculpture, and his work has also been exhibited internationally. His civic art collaborative Walczak & Heiss has been awarded permanent public art commissions in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, California and New York.
Under the oversight of the Allentown Public Art Committee, CCIC also funded the restoration of Ernest Shaw’s “Ruins XXVII” sculpture from 1978, which stands on the ArtsWalk between STRATA Symphony and Miller Symphony Hall. Originally painted red, the sculpture had been repainted green to complement an earlier expansion of Miller Symphony Hall. Through the recent restoration, the sculpture was repainted a bold, attention-grabbing red.
“City Center recognizes the important role that accessible public art plays in creating a vibrant urban community,” says City Center Vice President of Project Design & Corporate Branding Jane Heft. “We’re proud to have supported the production of new and restored sculptures for residents and visitors to enjoy along with another section of the ArtsWalk where people can gather.”
The newest piece of the ArtsWalk, which runs between Sixth Street and the Arts Park, is CCIC’s third extension of the pedestrian walkway. Designed by LAND COLLECTIVE, it features custom curved wooden benches, custom handmade crystal catenary lights, electricity for events and landscaping. In addition, a new six-foot ArtsWalk sign hand-painted by local muralist Matt Halm has been mounted on STRATA Symphony.
In addition to City Center Allentown’s four gallery and studio spaces for local artists, CCIC donated $40,000 in 2016 for the creation of a mural on the Church Street corner of the Linden Street Parking Deck.