ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A sculpture that witnessed the rise and fall of three Allentown theaters — two more than a century ago — now stands outside a new venue that officials hope will stand the test of time.
Pennsylvania Revenue Secretary Pat Browne, Mayor Matt Tuerk and City Center Vice President Jane Heft on Thursday night unveiled and rededicated “The Abduction of Psyche” outside the Archer Music Hall in downtown Allentown.
The 8-foot marble statue was the “most cherished feature” of the Rialto Theatre, which opened on the same block in 1921 after two other venues — The Noflaw and The Lyceum — opened there in the previous decade, according to the marker detailing its story.
The statue “was transplanted to a suburban community of the city, like most of the activity which once flourished here."Pennsylvania Revenue Secretary Pat Browne
It stood for decades in the Rialto’s grand foyer under 25-foot ceilings, depicting a scene in which Eros — the Greek mythological counterpart to the Roman god of love, Cupid — is sent to avenge his mother’s rage against Psyche for worshiping human beauty.
Eros is depicted as an archer, with a bow in his left hand and a quiver on his hip as Psyche drapes over his arm in the work by sculptor Antonio Batillo.
The statue was sold and moved to the South Mall in Salisbury Township in 1969 amid fears the Rialto could no longer support its 5,000-pound weight, according to the marker.
It “was transplanted to a suburban community of the city, like most of the activity which once flourished here,” Browne said Thursday.
The Rialto was demolished in the mid-1980s, and many businesses set up shop on the block before City Center opened the Archer and the Moxy, a boutique hotel on the corner of Hamilton and Tenth streets.
‘A beacon of urban excellence’
The statue’s return to its “original home” marks downtown Allentown’s “21st century renaissance” and “the perpetual value of performing arts” to the area, he said.
“Art is everywhere; art is around every corner in our city. It makes us a more attractive place, inviting people to explore this beautiful downtown.”Mayor Matt Tuerk
The revenue secretary called the Archer Music Hall “a beacon of urban excellence in the midst of suburban, white-drywall utility.”
The venue was named in honor of City Center President J.B. Reilly’s grandfather, Frank Archerie.
And it will now be watched over by an archer in Eros.
Mayor Matt Tuerk thanked Browne, who long represented Allentown in the state House and Senate, and Heft for the “incredible gift.”
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” Tuerk said, calling it “the latest and perhaps the most engaging investment” in the streetscape along the city’s main corridor, which also includes the Arts Walk connector, new lighting at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and other improvements.
“That's been our core mission from the beginning, not just to build buildings but to create places that people want to be in. Public art is a really critical part of creating these kinds of places and spaces.”City Center President J.B. Reilly
The “breathtaking” statue will be a feature of many visitors’ experiences in downtown Allentown, Tuerk said, highlighting the value of public art.
“Art is everywhere; art is around every corner in our city,” Tuerk said. “It makes us a more attractive place, inviting people to explore this beautiful downtown.”
City Center President J.B. Reilly said “The Abduction of Psyche” and dozens of other public art installations add “vibrancy” to Allentown. Most of the company’s developments include public spaces and art, he said.
“That's been our core mission from the beginning, not just to build buildings but to create places that people want to be in,” Reilly told LehighValleyNews.com. “Public art is a really critical part of creating these kinds of places and spaces.”
